Atiku Calls Out Tinubu on Security and Economic Issues

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticized President Bola Tinubu's government for how it is handling insecurity and economic problems.

Atiku accused the presidency of trying to blame the media and ordinary Nigerians for the worsening situation in the country.

In a statement on Wednesday from his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku found it alarming that the presidency suggested many kidnappings happen because citizens ignore police warnings about traveling at night.

He argued that this reasoning suggests Nigerians can only be safe for a limited part of the day.

“Is the presidency admitting that Nigerians can only be safe for a few hours of the day? Is this an official declaration that Africa’s largest economy has been reduced to an eight-hour economy where citizens must shut down their businesses, abandon legitimate travel, and retreat indoors once the sun sets?” Atiku asked.

Atiku said it is wrong for government officials to place the responsibility for security on citizens instead of the agencies meant to protect lives and property.

“The primary duty of any government is the protection of lives and property. Citizens do not surrender their freedoms in exchange for curfews imposed by fear,” he said.

He insisted that the insecurity in the country is clear from the daily experiences of Nigerians and cannot be dismissed as media exaggeration.

Atiku mentioned killings in Benue and Plateau states, bandit attacks in Zamfara, Katsina, and Niger states, as well as ongoing kidnappings and terrorism across various areas.

“A trader traveling from Kano to Lagos, a businessman returning from Abuja to Kaduna, a farmer transporting produce to market, or a family on a legitimate journey should not be blamed when criminals attack them. The blame belongs squarely where it should, on those charged with securing the country,” he said.

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress warned that normalizing insecurity by telling citizens to avoid traveling at certain times will have serious economic effects.

“A nation cannot prosper when its people are told that safety ends at sunset. Economies grow because people can move freely, trade freely, and conduct lawful activities without fear,” he stated.

Beyond insecurity, Atiku accused the administration of being out of touch with the economic problems facing Nigerians, claiming hunger and hardship have become defining features of the current government.

He said rising food prices, worsening inflation, unemployment, and declining purchasing power have left millions of families struggling.

“The father who goes to bed wondering how to provide the next meal for his family does not need a newspaper report to confirm hardship,” he said.

He also criticized the presidency for trying to blame the media for highlighting insecurity and economic challenges, insisting that journalists are just reporting the realities that citizens are facing.

“Blaming journalists for reporting insecurity and hardship is like blaming a thermometer for a fever,” Atiku said.

He warned that governments lose credibility when they focus on managing narratives instead of solving real problems.

“Nigeria does not need explanations for suffering. Nigeria needs solutions. Nigeria does not need lectures about perception. Nigeria needs results,” he added.

This statement comes as public concern grows over the rising cost of living and ongoing security issues in the country. These problems have been at the forefront of national discussions since the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira by Tinubu's government.