Cost of Living Unbearable, Atiku Slams Tinubu’s Reforms

Nigeria's political landscape is once again buzzing with sharp criticism directed at President Bola Tinubu's administration, this time from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Abubakar has vehemently denounced the current economic reforms, asserting that they have plunged ordinary Nigerians into unbearable hardship. His office, through Senior Special Assistant Phrank Shaibu, labeled the President's recent statements as a "reckless tirade," exposing what they claim is a "troubling pattern of hypocrisy and historical amnesia."

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Across the country, families are skipping meals, businesses are shutting their doors, and hardworking citizens are watching their incomes evaporate under the weight of relentless inflation and a collapsing purchasing power.

The core of Abubakar's argument centers on the lived reality of Nigerians, who he states are "skipping meals" and watching businesses "shut their doors" due to relentless inflation and a collapsing purchasing power. He paints a grim picture of a nation where "hope is steadily giving way to despair," arguing that the so-called reforms have translated into "hardship without relief." This perspective directly challenges the government's narrative, emphasizing the stark contrast between official pronouncements and the daily struggles faced by citizens.

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The cost of living has become unbearable, insecurity continues to stalk communities, and hope is steadily giving way to despair.

Furthermore, Abubakar has taken aim at President Tinubu's position on privatization, particularly concerning the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). He contends that the current administration's approach to commercializing the national oil company is opaque and lacks accountability, contrasting it with his own past advocacy for privatizing the NNPC and its refineries. Abubakar points to successful privatizations he oversaw, such as Oando Plc and Transcorp Hilton Abuja, as evidence of policies that "unlocked value and revived struggling state enterprises." This critique highlights a deep-seated debate within Nigeria about the best path to economic revitalization and the role of state-owned enterprises, a debate often framed through the lens of differing political ideologies and past governance records.

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What has been marketed as reform has translated into hardship without relief—policies that bite harder each day while offering no clear path to recovery.