Opposition Leaders Atiku, Obi Dispute Tinubu’s Economic Outlook

By Saheed Olatunji, Reporter

Opposition leaders Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi have rejected President Bola Tinubu’s Independence Day address, challenging his claims that the nation’s economic hardships have ended.

Atiku argued that government reports of economic recovery and declining inflation fail to address the lived experiences of millions trapped in deep economic hardship.

He highlighted the drastic drop in purchasing power, noting that while the N30,000 minimum wage bought roughly 118 liters of petrol in April 2023, the new N70,000 wage covers only about 50 liters.

“A President may announce a new chapter in a speech. He cannot announce food onto a family’s table,” Atiku said.

He proposed capped production subsidies for domestically refined petrol, criticised student loan programs as insufficient, and demanded transparency regarding the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway contract, conditional cash transfers, and Nigeria’s N166.79 trillion public debt. Africans& Diaspora

Peter Obi called for an urgent national reset, arguing that Nigeria’s vast resources have failed to yield security, human development, or prosperity.

Citing widespread poverty, unemployment, and displacement, and referencing a recent visit to an IDP camp in Sokoto State, Obi urged leaders to focus on measurable governance and citizen welfare.

“My message today is not one of despair. It is a message of hope, determination and responsibility,” Obi said.

He pledged that if elected president, he would spend all his holidays within Nigerian states rather than abroad.