“I Can’t Be Envious of Tinubu; He Only Inflicts Pain on Nigerians” – Atiku

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has strongly refuted accusations from President Bola Tinubu’s administration that he is “envious” of the president, instead claiming Tinubu’s policies have only worsened Nigeria’s economic hardship.

Abubakar, who was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, issued a statement countering a recent critique by Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s special adviser on information and strategy. On Sunday, Onanuga had criticized Abubakar for his continuous disapproval of Tinubu’s economic policies, suggesting his opposition stemmed from envy.

In a statement released Monday through Phrank Shaibu, his special assistant on public communication, Abubakar defended his stance, saying that his critiques address the lack of direction in Tinubu’s approach to governance. Abubakar asserted that Tinubu’s administration has implemented “a cocktail of policies” without a clear plan for results.

The statement points to Tinubu’s July announcement to lift import duties on essential goods like food for 150 days—an initiative Abubakar says has not been executed. “Over 120 days later, the policy is yet to take off while Nigerians continue to face surging costs, especially in food inflation, which now exceeds 40 percent—the highest in decades,” the statement read.

Abubakar also criticized what he described as “brazen disobedience” to government policies by Tinubu appointees, along with a lack of action from the finance ministry, stating these issues reflect “the incompetence that characterizes the Tinubu administration.”

According to Abubakar, rather than addressing these economic challenges, the government has chosen to focus on political rivalry. He expressed dismay at the administration’s focus on verbal attacks against political opponents, including himself and Peter Obi, accusing the administration of using “compromised courts” to further destabilize the opposition.

Abubakar specifically took aim at Tinubu’s handling of fuel subsidy removal, calling it abrupt and poorly managed. He argued that the administration’s “Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative” has struggled to gain traction due to a lack of infrastructure, while claiming that Tinubu and his ministers have refused to adopt it themselves.

“It is ludicrous to claim that Atiku is jealous of Tinubu. Atiku cannot be envious of a leader inflicting such pain on Nigerians,” he added. “Wickedness is the exclusive preserve of Tinubu. No compassionate leader who truly cares about the wellbeing of Nigerians would inflict such suffering.”

Abubakar further asserted that Nigeria’s currency is currently the worst-performing in Africa and the country has fallen from being the continent’s largest economy to the fifth, saying this decline underscores the failure of the All Progressives Congress (APC) since it took office in 2015.