In a bold critique of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has questioned the government’s handling of Nigeria’s economy, attributing the current crisis to what he describes as a lack of a coherent plan and reliance on experimental policies.
Atiku expressed his disapproval of Tinubu’s economic strategies, contrasting them with his own proposed Recovery Plan, which he claims is both comprehensive and inclusive of Nigerian input.
“It’s fascinating how the so-called ‘tested’ Tinubu administration’s only response seems to be a national prayer led by the First Lady and the NSA,” Atiku said, referencing a recent prayer session held just a day after he presented his own policy alternatives. “In my humble interpretation of the scriptures, prayer is noble, but the sacred texts also counsel us to engage in diligent labor and hard work.”
He noted that his Recovery Plan, formulated prior to the elections, included collaborative feedback from Nigerians, unlike Tinubu’s policies, which he asserts are “hasty” and lack public engagement. Atiku further argued that under his and past administrations, Nigeria’s economy thrived with higher GDP growth rates, reaching a peak of 15% in 2002 during the Obasanjo administration, compared to the 2.8% recorded so far under Tinubu.
“The average GDP rate under the Obasanjo administration was 6.59%, under Yar’Adua 7.98%, and under Jonathan 4.8%. This contrasts sharply with the dismal growth we’re seeing in Tinubu’s era,” he asserted. “Enough of the pains of the shambolic ‘bolekaja’ economic policy prescriptions!”
Atiku also questioned Tinubu’s tax-heavy approach, pointing out that economic powerhouses like the UAE, Qatar, and Monaco have thrived under low or zero-income tax policies. “We cannot hope to tax our way out of the economic quagmire wrought by these misguided policies. Why then are we fixated on inflicting further hardship upon an already struggling populace?”
Concluding his remarks, Atiku touched on the 2023 presidential election, which he claims was stolen. “The citizens who cast their votes in the 2023 presidential election know that I did not lose; rather, we find ourselves in this predicament because the election was criminally stolen from the Nigerian people,” he stated.
