Atiku slams Tinubu govt as ruinous, cites debt jump to N166.79trn
Atiku Abubakar, ADC presidential candidate, called President Bola Tinubu’s administration one of Nigeria’s most ruinous governments, saying it removed fuel subsidy, celebrated rising revenues while making daily life punishingly expensive and kept borrowing aggressively. In a statement signed by ADC campaign spokesperson Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said Nigerians have endured over three years of demanded sacrifices only to face higher food, transport and energy bills, strained public services and a recorded public debt of N166.79 trillion as of June 30 2026, per the Debt Management Office. He noted the debt stood at N49.85 trillion in March 2023, meaning it has more than tripled in just over three years.
Atiku urged Tinubu to present a full debt account: identify old debt newly recorded, foreign debt whose naira value rose with the exchange rate, every new loan taken since he assumed office, and show what has been repaid versus what remains outstanding. He linked the borrowing surge to a widening gap between official claims of economic recovery and the lived reality of ordinary Nigerians, who are suffocating under rising costs of food, fuel, transport, electricity, education, housing and healthcare, while the wealthy and privileged continue to protect and grow their fortunes. “An economy cannot be declared successful simply because government revenue is rising, reserves are improving or official statistics look better while the purchasing power of ordinary citizens is being destroyed,” Atiku said, adding that the true test of policy is whether Nigerians can afford basic necessities.
Given these figures, will you demand greater transparency on how loans are spent, or adjust your household budget to cope with continuing inflation and possible future tax or subsidy changes?