Atiku Accuses Tinubu of Neglecting Nigerians Amid Hardship.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of being indifferent to the suffering of Nigerians as the nation marked its 65th Independence anniversary.

In a statement released on X, Atiku, the 2023 presidential candidate, alleged that despite Nigeria’s vast human and natural resources, millions of citizens have been reduced to “refugees and beggars” under Tinubu’s leadership.

“Hunger is killing Nigerians, bandits are massacring communities, yet President Tinubu and his cabinet stand by, unmoved and uncaring,” Atiku wrote. “Every responsible government holds the welfare and security of its citizens as supreme. But what we have today is an administration that has abandoned its people.”

The former vice president urged citizens to use the ballot box as a corrective tool, stressing that Nigerians would have the chance to “sweep away this inept government at the next polls.”

Reflecting on Nigeria’s six decades of independence, Atiku lamented the country’s slow progress due to “decades of poor leadership and wasteful governance,” but insisted that with the right leadership, Nigeria could still reclaim its place among the comity of nations.

Atiku, who resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in July 2025 over irreconcilable differences, now aligns with a coalition led by the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Since assuming office in May 2023, President Tinubu has introduced sweeping economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies and unification of foreign exchange rates. While government officials defend the policies as necessary for long-term recovery, they have triggered inflation and deepened hardship for millions of citizens.