Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu over worsening insecurity and economic hardship, arguing that many Nigerians now treat ransom payments as a regular part of survival.
Atiku made the remarks in a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
The former presidential candidate accused the Presidency of being disconnected from the realities facing ordinary Nigerians, particularly amid recent debates over the country’s debt profile.
According to him, government officials have focused on defending borrowing levels while citizens continue to struggle with hunger, insecurity and rising living costs.
“It is both astonishing and insulting that at a time when millions of Nigerians can barely afford one meal a day, the presidency is celebrating debt figures as though indebtedness were an achievement,” Atiku said.
He lamented the growing insecurity across the country, stating that travelling by road has become increasingly dangerous for many Nigerians.
“In many parts of Nigeria today, travelling by road has become a gamble with death. Families go to bed praying not to receive midnight calls announcing the abduction of loved ones,” he added.
Atiku further claimed that kidnappings have become so widespread that families now budget for ransom payments in the same way they plan for routine household expenses.
“Ransom payments have become as routine as school fees and house rent in many homes,” he stated.
The former Vice President also linked insecurity to declining agricultural production, arguing that many farmers can no longer safely access their farmlands because of attacks by armed groups.
“As a result, food production has declined sharply, leading to hunger, rising prices and widespread hardship,” he said.
While acknowledging that borrowing can support economic development when properly managed, Atiku maintained that Nigeria’s rising debt has not translated into meaningful improvements in the lives of citizens.
He accused the government of prioritising public relations efforts over addressing pressing economic and security challenges and called for urgent action to reverse the country’s current trajectory.
The comments come amid ongoing debates between government officials and opposition figures over the state of the economy, public debt and the nation’s security situation.
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