Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his defence of petrol subsidy removal, accusing the president of worsening the economic hardship faced by millions of Nigerians.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said Tinubu’s comparison of calls for relief from rising fuel costs to asking Moses to return to Egypt demonstrated what he described as the president’s insensitivity to the suffering of citizens.
In a statement issued on his behalf by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku faulted Tinubu for defending the subsidy removal without adequately addressing its consequences for households and businesses.
The former vice-president argued that Tinubu’s decision to remove the petrol subsidy on his first day in office was being presented as a political achievement despite the impact of higher fuel prices on transportation, food costs and economic activities.
“Bola, you are the Egypt Nigerians are desperate to escape. You celebrate the day you made fuel more expensive, then lecture families struggling to pay for food and transport about why they must never go back,” Atiku said.
He accused the president of failing to appreciate the difficulties faced by families struggling to afford basic necessities, workers spending a significant portion of their salaries on transportation and businesses grappling with high electricity costs.
“At least Pharaoh knew he was holding people captive. Tinubu watches families cut meals, workers spend their salaries on transport, and businesses struggle to keep their lights on, then tells them a story about Moses,” he said.
Atiku added that Nigerians needed practical solutions to the rising cost of living rather than religious metaphors to justify difficult economic policies.
“Bola, a mother trying to feed her children cannot pay for food with a metaphor. A worker cannot get to work on a story about the Red Sea. Nigerians are asking how you intend to make life affordable. Answer them,” he stated.
The ADC presidential candidate said he would pursue policies aimed at reducing the cost of living if elected president in 2027.
He proposed limited and budgeted support for verified petroleum products refined in Nigeria and sold to domestic consumers, arguing that such a system could provide relief without restoring the previous subsidy arrangement in its entirety.
“My proposal is clear: give limited, budgeted support only to verified petroleum products refined in Nigeria and sold to Nigerians. Imported fuel gets nothing,” he said.
Atiku also called for independent audits to ensure that public funds allocated to the proposed intervention were properly accounted for and that consumers benefited directly through lower prices.
“Independent auditors must track every naira, and the benefit must be reflected in the price consumers pay. If it does not lower that price, it has failed its purpose,” he added.
His proposal comes amid continuing debate over the economic consequences of petrol subsidy removal and the need to balance government spending with measures to protect households from rising living costs.
Atiku also criticised the Tinubu administration over insecurity, arguing that the president should take responsibility for the country’s security challenges rather than rely on the record of his predecessor, former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He was particularly critical of remarks reportedly made by the Director-General of Tinubu’s campaign, who questioned what the president could do about insecurity when Buhari, a retired military general, had also struggled to eliminate the problem.
Atiku countered by citing the administration of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, whom he credited with demonstrating that effective leadership could improve the country’s security situation.
“But hardship is not the only captivity Nigerians face. Tinubu’s failure on security cannot be buried under Buhari’s record,” he said.
The former vice-president argued that Tinubu assumed office with knowledge of the country’s security challenges and therefore had a responsibility to protect communities, rescue abducted citizens and restore public confidence in the ability of security agencies to safeguard lives and property.
“Nigerians expect their President to confront the killers, rescue the abducted and make it possible to travel, farm, work and sleep without fear,” Atiku said.
He maintained that the administration should be judged by its own record rather than by comparisons with previous governments.
“If Tinubu cannot tell them how he will do that after more than three years in office, he has no business asking for four more years. The lives lost under his watch are not an argument about his predecessor. They are an indictment of his own leadership,” he added.
Atiku’s remarks reflect the opposition’s broader criticism of the federal government’s handling of insecurity, although the effectiveness of successive administrations’ security policies remains a subject of public and political debate.
The ADC candidate also expressed concern about the welfare of serving and retired police officers, alleging that many personnel faced financial difficulties despite the risks associated with their responsibilities.
He cited the case of a retired Assistant Superintendent of Police who reportedly told him that he received a monthly pension of ₦29,000.
Atiku further alleged that some serving police officers were drawing on their pension savings to meet their families’ daily needs.
“And look at what Tinubu asks of the officers sent to protect us. A retired Assistant Superintendent told me he receives ₦29,000 a month. Serving officers are drawing down their pension savings to feed their families,” he said.
He questioned how officers could be expected to perform effectively when they were worried about providing food for their families and securing their future after retirement.
Atiku urged the president to address concerns surrounding police pensions and remuneration, including calls for action on the Police Exit Bill and a review of salaries for serving officers.
“Bola, answer the retired officers asking for a pension they can live on. Act on the Police Exit Bill and review serving officers’ salaries, as was done for members of the Armed Forces. Give the people who protect Nigerians the pay, healthcare and retirement security their service has earned,” he said.
The claims about individual pension payments and serving officers’ use of pension savings were presented by Atiku and were not independently verified in the statement.
Atiku concluded by accusing Tinubu of failing to adequately address the economic and security concerns confronting Nigerians.
He argued that the country needed policies capable of reducing the cost of essential goods and services, improving public safety and ensuring that security personnel received adequate welfare support.
“Stop pointing to Egypt as though it lies behind us. For millions of Nigerians, Egypt is the hunger, fear and indignity they are living through under you,” he said.
“They deserve affordable fuel, safe communities and police officers who can serve without sacrificing their families’ future. Tinubu made life expensive. I will make life affordable again.”
The exchange highlights the growing political contest ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the economy, insecurity, fuel prices and public sector welfare likely to remain central issues.
While the Tinubu administration has defended the removal of petrol subsidy as part of its broader economic reform agenda, opposition figures continue to demand more direct measures to cushion the impact on citizens.
Atiku’s latest criticism positions affordability and security as key priorities in his bid to challenge the president in the next presidential election.
