Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu of abandoning Nigerians and showing little concern for the hardship citizens encounter through the administration’s policies and programs.
Atiku, who rated the Tinubu administration low on empathizing with citizens, described the incumbent government as one that has been indifferent to the people’s pain and misery.
The former vice president said hunger, insecurity, and poverty continue to ravage communities while the government looks the other way, neglecting Nigerians and unbothered.
He argued that any government that truly values its citizens would prioritise their welfare and safety above all else, saying the current administration has abandoned its responsibility, leaving Nigerians to grapple with worsening living conditions.
“It is tragic that millions of our people, in a nation so richly endowed, have been reduced to refugees and beggars in their own country,” he declared.
The former presidential candidate made the remarks on Wednesday, October 1, in a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day.
Going further, Atiku criticised the government’s handling of economic and security challenges, stressing that Nigerians are being “massacred by bandits and crippled by hunger” without adequate response from the authorities.
Atiku, however, maintained that the power to change the tide still lies with the people, reminding Nigerians that democracy grants them the right to vote out governments that fail to meet their expectations.
“No cabal can strip Nigerians of the ballot power that allows them to sweep away inept leadership at the polls,” he noted.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s journey since independence, Atiku said the country has struggled with the consequences of poor leadership, corruption, and wasteful governance.
He nonetheless expressed hope that with visionary leadership, Nigeria could “rise from the ashes of failed governance to reclaim its rightful place among nations.”
While concluding his Independence Day speech to Nigerians, Atiku ended his message by wishing Nigerians a happy Independence Day anniversary.
