Atiku: I can’t be envious of Tinubu, He inflicts pains on Nigerians

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed that he harbors no envy toward President Bola Tinubu, whom he accuses of causing suffering for Nigerians.

Atiku, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2023 presidential election, was responding to recent statements from the presidency, which alleged that he was envious of Tinubu.

On Sunday, Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, criticized Abubakar for his consistent disapproval of Tinubu’s economic strategies.

Abubakar has frequently condemned Tinubu’s economic measures, describing them as a “collection of policies” lacking clear plans for effective implementation.

In a statement released on Monday by Phrank Shaibu, his special assistant on public communication, Abubakar asserted that Tinubu tends to implement policies without adequately considering their potential impact.

“On July 8, 2024, Tinubu declared that import duties on essential goods such as food would be suspended for 150 days. Yet, over 120 days have passed without the policy taking effect, while Nigerians continue to suffer from escalating costs, including food inflation, which now exceeds 40 percent, the highest in decades,” the statement noted.

The statement continued, “The blatant disregard for government policy by Tinubu’s appointees, coupled with the finance ministry’s failure to issue a gazette even after four months, highlights the ineptitude and lack of seriousness that typifies the Tinubu administration.

“Regrettably, instead of prioritizing governance, they focus on attacking opponents—Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi—while using compromised courts to create discord within the opposition. It’s disgraceful.

“Tinubu came to office ill-prepared. He makes decisions first and contemplates the outcomes later. This is evident in the abrupt removal of the petrol subsidy without adequate safety measures.

“When he witnessed the resulting impact, he hastily proposed a CNG initiative that neither he nor his ministers have fully embraced, which explains their reluctance to utilize it. The CNG initiative remains stalled due to the absence of necessary gas infrastructure in many states.

“It is absurd to suggest that Atiku is envious of Tinubu. Absolutely not—Atiku could never be jealous of Tinubu’s actions that inflict pain on Nigerians.

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“Cruelty seems to be the unique trait of Tinubu. No leader who genuinely prioritizes the welfare of Nigerians would covet such an attribute.”

Abubakar also highlighted that Nigeria currently has the “worst-performing currency in Africa” and ranks as the fifth-largest economy on the continent, a significant decline from its top position when the All Progressives Congress (APC) took power in 2015.