The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has called on the Federal Government to shift its attention toward tackling economic hardship, insecurity, and the increasing cost of living affecting Nigerians.
In a statement released on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku responded to recent remarks from the Presidency defending Nigeria’s borrowing level by comparing it with those of other African nations.
He accused the government of being detached from the daily struggles of citizens, insisting that the situation on the ground paints a far more difficult picture than official statements suggest.
According to him, economic policies should be judged based on how much they improve citizens’ welfare and contribute to national development.
He stressed that borrowing should only be justified when directed toward productive sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture, security, and overall economic growth.
The ADC chieftain noted that many Nigerians are currently grappling with severe hardship driven by inflation, rising food prices, and struggling businesses.
He argued that government efforts should be focused on improving living conditions rather than engaging in comparisons of debt statistics.
“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
He also raised concerns over the worsening security situation across the country, saying it has severely disrupted farming activities and food production in several communities.
Atiku further warned that many Nigerians are more preoccupied with survival—access to food, safety, and economic opportunities—than with comparisons of national borrowing levels.
“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.
“Villages are sacked almost routinely while those in power appear more concerned about image management than decisive action.
What exactly are Nigerians benefiting from all these loans if insecurity continues to spread and the economy continues to suffocate?
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“No nation becomes prosperous by borrowing to finance consumption, sustain wasteful government lifestyles, and paper over policy failures.
Countries that borrow responsibly do so to expand productivity, create jobs, secure critical infrastructure, and improve the welfare of their citizens.
In Nigeria today, however, citizens see no correlation between the mounting debt profile and improvement in their daily lives,” the statement added.
Atiku maintained that responsible borrowing must translate into productive investments that generate jobs, strengthen infrastructure, and enhance national productivity.
He referenced the economic reforms under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, which he said led to debt relief and improved investor confidence in Nigeria’s economy.
“Nigerians do not care about statistical gymnastics from government spokespersons. They care about whether food is affordable, whether their children are safe, whether businesses can survive, whether farmers can return to their lands, and whether the future still holds any promise. Sadly, under this administration, the answer to those questions is becoming increasingly bleak,” it read.
He urged the Tinubu administration to move away from propaganda and instead confront the country’s economic and security challenges with urgency, competence, sincerity, and compassion to prevent further decline in national stability.
Atiku concluded by calling on the Federal Government to take immediate and decisive steps to address Nigeria’s worsening economic and security conditions.