Atiku faults Tinubu over rising hunger, hardship
May 25, 2026 8:57 pm
File: Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Monday criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu over worsening hunger and economic hardship in the country.
Atiku said the recent warning by the United Nations that about 35 million Nigerians could face acute hunger between June and August 2026 reflected what he described as the failure of the current administration.
In a statement issued in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate said the situation had moved beyond economic hardship to a humanitarian crisis.
“This is not just another alarming statistic. This is a human tragedy of terrifying proportions,” Atiku said.
According to him, millions of Nigerians are struggling with rising food prices, worsening inflation and declining purchasing power.
He blamed the hardship on what he described as poor economic policies, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the handling of foreign exchange reforms.
“The abrupt and poorly sequenced removal of fuel subsidy without credible social buffers triggered the worst cost-of-living crisis in recent memory.
“The chaotic mishandling of exchange rate policy sent the naira into a punishing tailspin, wiping out purchasing power, inflating import costs and crippling businesses,” he stated.
Atiku also linked the food crisis to insecurity in farming communities across states such as Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, Zamfara, Niger, Katsina, Sokoto and Borno.
“How can a nation feed itself when farmers cannot safely access their farms?” he asked.
The former vice president accused the Federal Government of failing to provide effective economic coordination and social protection for vulnerable Nigerians.
He called on the government to declare a national food security emergency and introduce urgent support measures for farmers, including subsidised farm inputs, improved access to credit and protection for farming communities.
“We need urgent support for farmers through subsidised inputs, improved access to credit, protection of farming corridors, strategic food reserve deployment and emergency household support for the most vulnerable,” he said.
Atiku warned that worsening hunger could fuel insecurity and social unrest if urgent steps were not taken.
“A hungry nation is an angry nation, and no government should toy with that reality,” he added.
The PUNCH journalist, Adebayo, has over 20 years of experience covering politics, health, metro, entertainment and properties
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