BLAMING OPPOSITION FOR HUNGER IS ‘DELUSION’, ATIKU TELLS TINUBU

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has described President Bola Tinubu’s claim that the opposition created hunger and poverty in Nigeria as a delusional and shameless attempt to dodge responsibility for the misery his own government has inflicted on Nigerians.

The rebuttal was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, ValidViewNetwork reports.

THE REBUTTAL

Atiku said a President cannot light the fire of hardship with his own policies and then blame the neighbours for the smoke.

“Mr President, blaming the opposition for hunger is either delusion or a staggering case of political amnesia,” Atiku said. “The APC governed Nigeria for eight years before you took office. You have added another three and a half years. Nigerians know who has been in power, and hardship did not begin when the opposition started talking about it. Stop insulting their intelligence and answer for your record” .

He added: “The hardship your administration has brought upon Nigerians is real. You cannot deny it by blaming others”.

THE COMMISSIONING CRITIQUE

Atiku also mocked the President’s decision to virtually commission the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway from inside a stadium.

“Your decision to commission the unfinished Abuja to Kaduna Expressway from inside a stadium shows how far removed you are from the daily reality of Nigerians. A road cannot be completed with a speech or a ribbon cutting ceremony,” he said .

THE LIST OF QUESTIONS

Atiku posed a series of pointed questions about the administration’s record.

“Which administration removed the petrol subsidy and watched the naira fall from about ₦471 to ₦1,329 to the dollar?” he asked .

“Which administration has presided over a rise in poverty that led the World Bank to estimate that 63 per cent of Nigerians will be below the national poverty line in 2026?” .

“Which administration extended the 2024 budget into 2025 while also operating a separate 2025 budget? Which administration recorded ₦7.13 trillion under ‘energy security’ in 2024 and faces questions over ₦11.2 trillion in NNPC pipeline related spending? Nigerians deserve to know who received these sums and what was delivered”.

“Which administration must explain the $12.4 billion gap flagged in Nigeria’s external accounts for the first half of 2026? Which administration paid $22.5 million in ‘other charges’ on the Abu Dhabi financing facility?” .”Which administration is responsible for the killings, kidnappings and displacement that continue to terrorise communities? These are the questions Nigerians are asking while your government blames the opposition” .

THE VERDICT

Atiku said the 2027 election would be a referendum on Tinubu’s record.

“You cannot govern for three years, make life harder, and then blame others for describing the hardship. You asked who created the hunger. Nigerians are asking what you have done to end it,” he said .

“The people will judge your government by the lives they are living, not by the excuses you offer at campaign rallies. The 2027 presidential election will be a referendum on your record. Nigerians have felt the cost of your leadership in their homes, markets and communities. Their verdict is already clear: they have rejected your administration”.

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WHY IT MATTERS

Atiku’s response is a direct challenge to the central narrative of Tinubu’s campaign.

The President opened his re-election bid by blaming the opposition for hunger. Atiku has responded by listing the administration’s economic decisions and their consequences.

The exchange sets the terms of the 2027 contest: Tinubu will campaign on the argument that his reforms are necessary and his opponents are responsible for the pain.

Atiku will campaign on the argument that the pain is real, the President is responsible, and the promises of prosperity are empty.

Nigerians will decide which narrative they believe.The campaign has begun. And the battle over the truth of Nigeria’s economic condition is now the defining issue. ValidViewNetwork reports.