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Hunger, Insecurity, Poverty Define Tinubu’s 3-Year Scorecard, Says Atiku
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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has rated the three-year record of President Bola Tinubu’s administration low, citing hunger, poverty, and the abduction of schoolchildren.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication Phrank Shaibu, the former Vice President said as the Tinubu administration marks three years in office, its most fitting report card is not the glossy advertisements, expensive media campaigns, or self-congratulatory speeches emanating from Abuja, but the tears of hungry families, the despair of unemployed youths, the collapse of businesses, and the haunting images of schoolchildren being abducted by criminals while a complacent government looks the other way.
He said the tragedy of Borno and Oyo is not merely a security failure but the inevitable consequence of a government that has become detached from reality and addicted to propaganda.
The Waziri Adamawa said Nigerians understand that a government that cannot guarantee security, create opportunities, stabilise the economy, or protect the dignity of its citizens has no moral basis for asking to be rewarded with another term.
The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) declared that the era of political complacency, propaganda, and governance by deception is drawing to a close, stating that Nigerians have seen enough and are preparing to reclaim their country through the power of the ballot.
According to Atiku, every government is entitled to its own opinions, but no government is entitled to its own facts.
“The facts are stubborn and unforgiving. Three years ago, President Tinubu promised renewed hope. What Nigerians have received instead is renewed hardship, renewed insecurity, renewed poverty, and renewed hopelessness.
“Today, millions of Nigerians can no longer afford the basic necessities of life. Food prices have skyrocketed beyond the reach of ordinary families. Inflation has become a cruel tax on the poor. Small and medium-scale businesses are shutting their doors. Investors are fleeing uncertainty. The naira has been battered. Purchasing power has collapsed.
“Never in recent history have so many Nigerians worked so hard only to become poorer. Never has a government celebrated itself so loudly while its citizens suffered so deeply.
“While Nigerians endure the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation, this administration continues to manufacture statistics, stage elaborate ceremonies, and engage in endless public relations exercises designed to create the illusion of progress where none exists.
“What makes this failure even more scandalous is the reckless borrowing that has accompanied it. This administration has borrowed trillions of naira in the name of infrastructure and economic development, yet Nigerians cannot see corresponding improvements in their daily lives.
“Public reports indicate that while the Federal Government borrowed approximately N11.9 trillion within a nine-month period, only N3.1 trillion was reportedly spent on capital projects. Nigerians are therefore entitled to ask a simple question: where did the rest of the money go?
“Even more troubling is that a substantial portion of the infrastructure spending that has been publicly highlighted appears concentrated on projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Badagry-Sokoto Highway, both awarded to a company owned by a businessman whom President Tinubu publicly described as his ‘partner in daring.’
“This administration has created the disturbing perception that while ordinary Nigerians are being asked to endure sacrifice, the benefits of government spending are increasingly flowing towards a privileged circle of politically connected interests.
“A government that borrows trillions but cannot transparently account for the impact of those borrowings on the lives of its citizens has no business celebrating itself. Nigerians are not interested in debt accumulation. They are interested in results.”
Atiku said perhaps the most damning indictment of the Tinubu administration’s three-year record is the resurgence of mass abductions and the growing sense that the Nigerian state is steadily losing its monopoly over security.
“While government officials celebrate themselves and distribute scorecards, terrorists and criminal gangs are distributing fear across the country.
“The recent abduction of schoolchildren in Borno State and the mass kidnapping of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State are not isolated incidents. They are the most accurate report card of this administration after three years in office.
“What greater evidence of failure can there be than parents sending their children to school only to receive news that they have been abducted? What greater symbol of governmental failure exists than classrooms becoming hunting grounds for criminals?
“Three years into this administration, Nigerian children are still being dragged into forests by terrorists and kidnappers. Three years into this administration, communities remain vulnerable. Three years into this administration, citizens continue to pay the price for a government that appears more concerned with managing headlines than securing lives.
“When governments become consumed by self-praise, they stop listening. When they stop listening, they stop learning. And when they stop learning, they begin to fail.”
Atiku said the Tinubu administration has spent three years asking Nigerians to ignore their lived experiences and instead believe carefully curated narratives from government spokespersons.
“They tell Nigerians the economy is improving, yet families skip meals. They tell Nigerians insecurity is declining, yet communities live in fear. They tell Nigerians prosperity is around the corner, yet businesses continue to collapse under unbearable pressure.
“No amount of propaganda can fill an empty stomach. No amount of spin can erase insecurity. No amount of government advertising can hide the suffering that millions experience every day.
“The true measure of governance is not what government says about itself. It is what citizens experience in their daily lives.”
The former Vice President warned that history is filled with governments that mistook the patience of the people for permanent acceptance.
“There is a difference between patience and satisfaction. There is a difference between endurance and approval.
“Nigerians have endured extraordinary hardship because they are resilient people. But resilience should never be mistaken for weakness. Patience should never be mistaken for surrender.
“The signs are everywhere. Across the country, Nigerians are asking hard questions. They are demanding accountability. They are refusing to be distracted by slogans and political theatre…”
Atiku stressed that democracy provides Nigerians with a peaceful and constitutional instrument for change.
“The ballot box remains the most powerful weapon in the hands of the people. It is stronger than propaganda. It is stronger than intimidation. It is stronger than incumbency.
“Those who believe that Nigerians will forget the hunger, insecurity, joblessness, and economic pain of the last three years are engaged in dangerous self-deception.
“Power belongs to the people. It does not belong to political parties. It does not belong to incumbents. It does not belong to governments. It belongs to Nigerians, and Nigerians reserve the right to reclaim it whenever they believe their trust has been betrayed.”
He urged citizens not to lose faith in democracy but to channel their frustrations into peaceful political action.
“Our responsibility is not merely to complain. Our responsibility is to organise, mobilise, participate, and vote.
“The future of Nigeria will not be determined by those who shout the loudest. It will be determined by those who show up, stand up, and vote for change.
“Let no one be deceived. The era of complacency is over. The era of propaganda is ending. The era of taking Nigerians for granted is coming to a close.
“The people are awake. The people are watching. And when the time comes, they will deliver their verdict through the ballot.”
The former Vice President said that while exposing the failures of the Tinubu administration is necessary, Nigerians deserve more than a catalogue of broken promises and missed opportunities; they deserve a credible alternative and a practical roadmap for national recovery.
“In the coming weeks, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will unveil a comprehensive policy blueprint that is the product of rigorous research, extensive consultations, and a painstaking review of the economic, security, institutional, and governance failures that have defined the APC administration and culminated in the present national crisis.
“This policy document will not merely diagnose the problems that have plunged millions of Nigerians into hardship; it will present bold, realistic, and actionable solutions. It will offer a clear pathway to economic recovery, job creation, security sector reform, fiscal discipline, educational revival, healthcare expansion, and the restoration of confidence in public institutions.
“Nigerians have heard enough excuses. They have listened to enough promises. They have endured enough suffering. What they seek now is leadership that is competent, compassionate, accountable, and genuinely committed to the public good.
“As the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, I make a solemn pledge to Nigerians that our campaign will be driven by ideas, not insults; by solutions, not slogans; and by competence, not propaganda.
“By the grace of Almighty God and with the mandate of the Nigerian people, the next administration under my leadership will assemble some of the finest minds, most accomplished professionals, and most experienced technocrats from across our nation. We will restore merit to governance, recruit competence into public service, and ensure that every major decision is guided by expertise, patriotism, and the national interest.
“The task ahead is daunting. The economic damage is severe. Public trust has been eroded. National cohesion has been strained. But Nigeria is greater than the failures of any government.
“We will rebuild our economy, restore security, strengthen our institutions, create opportunities for our young people, and return government to its primary purpose: serving the people.
“The era of excuses is ending. The era of accountability is approaching. The era of propaganda is fading. And with the support of Nigerians, a new chapter of competence, prosperity, security, and genuine hope shall begin.”
Atiku renewed his confidence in the Nigerian people and expressed optimism that the country can still be rescued through competent leadership, accountable governance, economic justice, and a renewed commitment to national security and unity.
United States President, Donald Trump, says his country is now in “total control” of the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing tensions with Iran over the reopening of the strategic waterway.
Trump made the claim while speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, saying the situation with Iran was progressing well despite continued disagreements between both countries.
“Iran is going fine – going just absolutely fine. We totally control the Strait of Hormuz. We have control over it; nobody else, only us. Our navy is unbelievable, and things going great for our country,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews.
“I don’t trust Iran. I’m the last person to trust Iran; they’ve lied to me constantly. We have total control over the Hormuz Strait right now; they don’t have control,” he added.
The claim comes as the United States and Iran continue to exchange demands over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, casting further uncertainty over negotiations aimed at ending their five-month conflict.
Although the US has confirmed its involvement in the talks, Iran maintains that it is negotiating directly only with Oman. Tehran has also proposed that the future management of the strategic waterway be shared with Oman.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global energy route, with about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passing through it before the US-Israel war with Iran began at the end of February.
On Monday, Trump said he would seek compensation from Iran for deaths and injuries associated with conflicts and attacks spanning several decades.
His position followed Iran’s demands for reparations over the war last week, as Tehran said it would not reopen the strait until Washington addresses its political and economic conditions.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected the interim report of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), arguing that the findings leave some of the biggest questions surrounding the scandal unanswered.
The opposition party said the report appeared to focus more on limiting political fallout than establishing how a purported government agency allegedly gained access to official institutions, occupied government office space and received other forms of state recognition despite questions over its legal status.
The ADC’s position was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi.
The controversy surrounding the PFIPC has intensified in recent weeks following allegations that the organisation operated as a government agency despite questions over its establishment, with its purported Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, facing scrutiny from law enforcement agencies and lawmakers.
The party said the ICPC’s interim findings had failed to provide satisfactory explanations for how the organisation allegedly secured office accommodation within the Federal Secretariat, attracted civil servants, obtained official recognition and appeared in the 2026 federal budget with a reported allocation of N1.3 billion.
The ADC recalled that it had previously opposed President Bola Tinubu’s decision to assign the investigation to the ICPC, insisting that an independent panel would have been better positioned to investigate the matter without questions about institutional proximity.
According to the opposition party, the interim nature of the ICPC report made it even more difficult to understand why the commission appeared to be pointing responsibility towards Adeyemi while simultaneously maintaining that its investigation was still ongoing.
“The report is not only predictable, it appears more concerned with exonerating government officials rather than providing clear answers to the serious questions that the scandal has raised,” the party said.
The ADC argued that the controversy could not simply be dismissed as an administrative failure.
It maintained that if the PFIPC was indeed established through fraudulent representations, there were still important questions about how those representations allegedly passed through several layers of government without being detected.
“A forgery may explain the first door that was opened. It cannot explain why every subsequent door appears to have opened as well,” the party said.
For the ADC, the central issue is not simply whether Adeyemi allegedly forged documents or misrepresented himself.
The party wants investigators to establish how an organisation whose legitimacy is now being questioned could allegedly secure office accommodation, civil servants, official vehicles and other institutional support.
It argued that such developments would ordinarily require interaction with multiple government departments and officials.
The party therefore questioned whether the alleged activities were facilitated by negligence, institutional failure or possible complicity within government.
The ADC also raised concerns over reports that the ICPC had identified two other allegedly fictitious organisations linked to Adeyemi.
Rather than viewing that development as evidence of an isolated individual operation, the party said it should prompt investigators to widen the scope of their inquiry.
One of the most significant issues raised by the opposition party was the reported N1.3 billion allocation to the PFIPC in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The ADC argued that a provision of that magnitude should have generated a clear paper trail involving budget submissions, reviews, approvals and verification.
“Budgetary provisions do not materialise by accident,” the party said.
It consequently demanded to know who proposed the allocation, which government officials processed it and who verified the existence and legitimacy of the purported agency before the provision was included in the federal budget.
The party noted that the House of Representatives had already begun its own investigation into how the PFIPC allegedly found its way into the federal budget.
According to the ADC, the legislative inquiry could provide an opportunity to establish whether the budget allocation resulted from deliberate manipulation, administrative negligence or failures within the government’s budgetary verification system.
The opposition party also criticised the reported recommendation that Adeyemi be prosecuted.
It argued that the ICPC’s decision to single out the purported PFIPC director-general appeared premature if, as the commission itself indicated, its investigation remained ongoing.
“If all that the commission had to present was a preliminary report, why not simply present it as a confidential brief to the President instead of making a public drama of it?” the ADC asked.
The party said the investigation should not be structured around finding a convenient individual to blame but should instead establish everyone who may have played a role in allowing the alleged operation to continue.
The ADC described the controversy as a national embarrassment and called on the ICPC to release the full interim report rather than only selected findings.
It also demanded that any public officials whose actions or negligence enabled the purported agency to operate be identified and investigated.
The party stressed that anyone found culpable should face appropriate sanctions after due process.
“What has happened is a national disgrace in the full glare of the entire world. No serious government should be satisfied with identifying one culprit for prosecution,” the party said.
The ADC maintained that Nigerians were not asking investigators to manufacture suspects or reach predetermined conclusions.
Rather, it said, the investigation should follow the evidence wherever it leads — including into government offices if necessary.
At the heart of the controversy, according to the opposition party, is a simple question: if the PFIPC is not a legitimate government agency, how did it allegedly get so far inside the machinery of government without multiple officials noticing?
That, the ADC argued, is the question the ongoing investigations must ultimately answer.
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has raised concerns over what he described as a suspicious and unauthorised payment into one of his private bank accounts.
In a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the transfer originated from an individual or entity unknown to him and carried the narration, “Contribution Electioneering Campaign.”
According to the statement, neither Atiku nor his campaign solicited, authorised or had any knowledge of the payment.
The former Vice President said the account was strictly private and its details were not in the public domain, raising concerns about how the information could have been obtained.
“How did unknown persons obtain the confidential banking details of a private citizen?”
Atiku said the incident raised broader concerns about the security of Nigerians’ financial information, particularly if the private banking details of a former Vice President and presidential candidate could allegedly be accessed without his consent.
“If the private banking information of a former Vice President and a leading presidential candidate can be accessed and deployed for reasons yet unknown, then no Nigerian’s financial privacy is safe.”
He further expressed concern that the alleged disclosure could have involved individuals with privileged access to confidential information.
According to him, if such access is established, it could expose account holders to criminal elements, including kidnappers, terrorists, bandits and fraudsters.
The former Vice President also called the attention of Nigerians and security agencies to the incident, describing it as part of what he termed a series of “suspicious activities” ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“We therefore put the Nigerian public and the security agencies on notice about this latest incident in a litany of suspicious activities leading up to next year’s general elections.”
Atiku also alleged that the incident could be part of an attempt to damage his reputation as political activities intensify ahead of the elections.
He urged Nigerians not to be distracted by what he described as “tired tactics” aimed at character assassination.
“Such desperate antics have failed before and will fail again.”
The ADC presidential candidate said he remained focused on his political agenda and his stated commitment to providing solutions to the country’s challenges.
“The Waziri Adamawa remains focused on offering Nigerians credible leadership and practical solutions to the nation’s challenges.”
