Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, (ADC) has urged the federal government to focus on tackling worsening insecurity, economic hardship and the rising cost of living affecting millions of Nigerians.
Atiku made the call while reacting to recent comments by the presidency defending Nigeria’s borrowing profile and comparing the country’s debt level with those of other African nations.
In a statement issued on Thursday by Phrank Shaibu, his senior special assistant on public communication, the former vice president accused the government of being disconnected from the realities facing ordinary citizens.
According to him, economic policies should not be measured by debt statistics alone but by their direct impact on the welfare of Nigerians and the overall growth of the economy.
Atiku argued that borrowing should be tied to productive sectors capable of improving infrastructure, agriculture, security and job creation rather than worsening economic hardship.
“It is both astonishing and insulting that at a time when millions of Nigerians can barely afford one meal a day, when parents are withdrawing children from school because of crushing hardship, when businesses are collapsing under unbearable electricity tariffs and inflation, and when entire communities are being overrun by terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers, the Presidency is celebrating debt figures as though indebtedness itself were an economic achievement,” the statement read.
The former vice president also expressed concern over the country’s security situation, saying growing attacks by terrorists, kidnappers and bandits had continued to threaten farming activities, business operations and the safety of citizens.
He stated that many Nigerians were more concerned about food affordability, job opportunities and safety than government comparisons of debt profiles with other countries.
“In many parts of Nigeria today, travelling by road has become a gamble with death. Families go to bed praying not to receive midnight calls announcing the abduction of loved ones,” Atiku said.
He further criticised what he described as excessive borrowing without corresponding improvement in the living conditions of Nigerians.
According to him, countries that borrow responsibly invest such funds in projects that expand productivity, create employment opportunities and improve national development.
Atiku also recalled economic reforms implemented during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, which he said helped Nigeria secure debt relief and restore investor confidence.
The ADC chieftain urged president Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to confront the nation’s economic and security challenges with sincerity, urgency and competence before the situation deteriorates further.
He maintained that Nigerians are more interested in affordable food, improved security, stable businesses and economic opportunities than official narratives defending government borrowing.
