Atiku Challenges Tinubu's Economic Recovery Claims Amid Rising Poverty

Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, has publicly disputed President Bola Tinubu's administration claims that Nigeria's economy is recovering. In statements released Monday through his media aide Phrank Shaibu, Atiku contended that while government officials cite positive macroeconomic figures, millions of Nigerians continue experiencing deepening poverty and food insecurity.

The former vice president argued that official statistics cannot obscure the daily hardships faced by ordinary citizens. He characterized the presidency's defense of its economic policies as reliance on propaganda rather than tangible improvements in living standards.

Atiku specifically criticized the gap between what government numbers suggest and what Nigerians experience in their households and communities. Atiku pointed to concrete industrial challenges as evidence contradicting recovery narratives.

He cited the closure of 767 manufacturing firms and an accumulation of ₦2.14 trillion in unsold goods as indicators of a declining manufacturing sector. These figures, according to Atiku, demonstrate that economic policy has failed to support productive capacity or create conditions for business sustainability.

The statement represented Atiku's direct response to the State House's previous defense of Tinubu's reform agenda. Rather than engaging with specific policy arguments, Atiku's critique focused on the disconnect between government claims and citizen welfare.

He argued that genuine economic management must produce measurable improvements in how Nigerians feed themselves, sustain their businesses, and meet basic needs.