As President Bola Tinubu marks his second year in office, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described the Tinubu administration as “incompetent,” “disconnected,” and “anti-people,” rating it one of the worst governments in Nigeria’s democratic history.
Atiku, in a tweet on Thursday, claimed that no previous administration has inflicted this level of hardship on the masses while showing such disregard for transparency, accountability, and responsible leadership.
He alleged that the Tinubu-led government has intensified economic hardship, increased public debt, and introduced policies that disproportionately affect poorer Nigerians.
He pointed to Nigeria’s public debt rising from about ₦49 trillion in 2023 to ₦144 trillion in 2025, with further borrowing proposals that could raise it to ₦183 trillion.
Atiku contrasted this with state governments, saying, “While the federal government racks up debt, state governments have shown more discipline, reducing their debt levels from ₦5.86 trillion to ₦3.97 trillion. The implication is clear: the federal government, under Tinubu, is the primary driver of Nigeria’s current debt crisis.”
According to him, Tinubu’s government has not only deepened poverty across the country, but it has also set new records in wasteful public spending. At a time when millions of Nigerians are struggling to survive, government officials are living in excess and approving budgets that benefit the elite at the expense of the common man.
“It is sad that, apart from being the poverty capital of the world, Nigeria has under this administration emerged in the unenviable position as the capital of malnourished children in Africa, having beaten Sudan, a nation that is at war. According to the Global Hunger Index 2024, our country is one of the most affected by hunger and malnutrition, occupying the 18th position,” Atiku wrote.
Atiku noted that successive policies under this administration have targeted the poor while providing relief and advantage to the wealthy.
From healthcare to education to identity management and basic public services, Nigerians are now faced with class-based systems where the wealthy enjoy VIP treatment, and the rest are left behind, the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate added.
“Today, Nigeria is a nation where the rich get richer, and the poor are punished for trying to survive. This reality cannot and will not be ignored.”
