Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has accused the Tinubu administration of using favourable economic data to conceal the hardship faced by Nigerians.
In a statement issued on Sunday through his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the government’s claims of economic progress do not reflect the realities of rising inflation, soaring food prices, unemployment, naira depreciation and worsening poverty.
He disputed the administration’s position that savings from fuel subsidy removal have reduced government debt, arguing instead that existing obligations were merely restructured while new borrowing continued. He also claimed that key components of the new minimum wage package, including allowances promised to workers, have not been fully implemented.
Atiku further questioned the government’s explanation that subsidy savings are funding the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), noting that the agency had previously attributed part of its funding to recovered assets from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The former vice president also blamed the government’s economic policies for rising interest rates, saying they have made borrowing more expensive for businesses and increased the country’s debt servicing costs.
He urged the Federal Government to focus on addressing the country’s economic challenges with transparency and accountability rather than relying on what he described as misleading statistics.
