Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged Nigerians not to mistake any temporary relief from the cost of living for genuine economic recovery, accusing the President Bola Tinubu administration of responding to hardship only as the 2027 elections approach.
In a statement on Tuesday, Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said it was contradictory for the president to condemn Atiku’s proposal to reduce energy costs as a return to the past while promising cheaper transportation, increased food production and relief for vulnerable Nigerians.
‘For more than three years, Nigerians have endured punishing transport fares, soaring food prices, crippling energy costs and wages that buy less every month,’ Shaibu said.
He questioned why the government had taken more than three years to recognise that economic growth must reach ‘the dining table and the pocket’.
‘Why is intervention backwards when Atiku proposes it, but progressive when you announce it? You cannot condemn cheaper living when Atiku proposes it and rename the same objective Renewed Hope when you promise it,’ he said.
Shaibu also criticised the high cost of petrol in Nigeria, arguing that the country’s status as a major oil producer should translate into lower energy costs for citizens.
He cited Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Algeria and Angola as examples of oil-producing countries where petrol prices are lower than Nigeria’s.
He said Nigerians were being offered ‘a temporary dose of political anaesthesia’ as 2027 approaches.