Presidency accuses Atiku of causing Nigeria’s economic woes

The presidency has lashed out at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his warning that hunger and hardship could push Nigeria towards a revolution like that of France in 1789 and Russia in 1917.

Atiku had, on Monday, September 15, 2025, decried the increasing spate of hunger currently ravaging the country, saying Nigerians were progressively wallowing in misery and poverty under the President Bola Tinubu administration.

Atiku, in a statement issued by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, said the hunger and hardship in Nigeria were responsible for terrorism, kidnapping, cultism, drug addiction, ritual sacrifice, and other criminal activities in the nation.

Reacting via a statement on Monday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described Atiku’s statement as misleading.

Onanuga noted that Atiku’s claims showed a disconnect from Nigeria’s current economic reality, stressing that the country was moving in the right direction.

Listing the Tinubu administration’s achievements, Onanuga cited the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data showing that headline inflation had declined for the fifth consecutive month, adding that the NBS also reported a record trade surplus, with the contribution of non-oil exports to the country’s trade balance nearly matching that of crude oil at a ratio of 48:52 per cent.

He stated that many of the challenges currently bewildering the country emanated from the economic mismanagement during the Peoples Democratic Party-led administration, under which Atiku served as vice president.

The presidential spokesperson said: “Our foreign exchange reserves are on the rise, now approaching $42 billion. When President Tinubu assumed office, reserves stood at $32 billion, much of it encumbered. This administration has since cleared over $7 billion in arrears, including $800 million owed to airlines.

“Under President Tinubu, Nigeria is recording unprecedented revenues. States are now able to pay salaries and gratuities promptly and still have surplus funds for capital and social projects—an achievement not previously witnessed at this scale.

“Nigeria is moving in the right direction. In contrast, Atiku and his party remain stuck in the past, fixated on doomsday scenarios and revolutionary rhetoric.

“Ironically, many of the challenges we face today stem from the economic mismanagement during the PDP years, when Atiku was vice president. President Tinubu and his team are working relentlessly to correct those errors with bold reforms.

“After just two years and five months in office, we are proud of the progress being made under President Tinubu’s leadership. Atiku and his allies may choose to ignore these gains, but Nigerians can see and feel the positive changes taking place across the nation.”