Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has sharply criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 65th Independence Day speech, describing the nation’s situation as “the pot is not only empty but cracked — and the people remain hungry.”
In his nationwide broadcast, Tinubu spoke of “turning the corner” and highlighted achievements in education, healthcare, the economy, and national security. Responding, Atiku, through his Special Assistant on Public Communications, Phrank Shuaibu, challenged these claims, saying the president’s promises have not translated into meaningful change for Nigerians.
“Schools may have multiplied, but pupils still sit on bare floors and write in dust,” Atiku said, noting that many teachers abandon classrooms due to unpaid or insufficient salaries. On healthcare, he added, “Our mothers and fathers still carry candles, syringes, and drugs into wards before treatment can begin. A man who builds many huts without roofs has only built shade for goats.”
Addressing the economy, Atiku said, “Food prices are higher than rooftops, transport costs have swallowed incomes, and many families now eat less than one meal a day. If these are the ‘seeds’ of reform, then the fruit is still bitter.”
On security, he remarked that despite Tinubu’s claims of victories over terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers, Nigerians continue to live in fear. He cited the recent killing of Somtochukwu Maduagwu, an Arise TV news anchor, as a stark reminder of the prevailing insecurity.
Atiku also criticized the government’s social welfare programs, questioning the visibility of disbursed funds to poor households. He highlighted youth unemployment, stating that graduates are often forced into informal jobs like selling sachet water or riding commercial motorcycles to survive.
He concluded by urging the government to focus on tangible improvements in citizens’ lives, warning that resilience and patience from Nigerians should not be mistaken for approval. “Statistics do not fill cooking pots, and PowerPoint slides do not light up homes,” he said.
