Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu, accusing it of suppressing dissenting voices and attempting to mask Nigeria’s economic challenges through what he described as the manipulation of statistics.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku also condemned the Presidency’s criticism of former Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, over his recent remarks on the state of the nation. He called for an immediate apology to the cleric, the Catholic Church and its members.
According to Atiku, rather than reflecting on concerns raised by members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, the Presidency responded with political attacks and attempts to discredit respected religious leaders.
“It is both unfortunate and dangerous that, instead of addressing the substance of the bishops’ message, the Presidency resorted to intimidation, ridicule and political attacks,” he said.
He described the Catholic Church as one of Nigeria’s enduring moral institutions, noting that its leaders have consistently spoken on behalf of the poor, vulnerable and oppressed regardless of the government in power.
“Their responsibility is not to flatter those in authority but to speak truth to power,” Atiku stated, commending the bishops for openly expressing their concerns about the country’s economic and political situation.
He urged religious leaders across different faiths to continue speaking out whenever national interest demands it.
Defending Cardinal Onaiyekan’s decision to address the media after the meeting with President Tinubu, Atiku argued that the cleric was merely setting the record straight after what he described as attempts by the Presidency to shape public perception of the engagement.
He further accused the government’s media team of selectively presenting the meeting in a way that undermined the credibility and moral authority of the Catholic bishops.
According to him, democracy cannot thrive where religious leaders, civil society groups and citizens are criticised for expressing opinions that differ from those of the government.
In a reference to the controversy surrounding clerics who attended President Tinubu’s inauguration in 2023, Atiku said the administration appeared to assume that all religious leaders could be drawn into political messaging.
He insisted that Catholic bishops are independent moral voices who cannot be used for political purposes.
Atiku maintained that attacking respected clerics would neither erase the country’s economic challenges nor lessen the hardship experienced by ordinary Nigerians, citing hunger, insecurity, unemployment, rising poverty and the high cost of living.
He therefore demanded what he described as an immediate and unreserved apology from the Presidency to Cardinal Onaiyekan, the Catholic Church and millions of Catholic faithful.
The former vice president also criticised the Tinubu administration’s economic record, insisting that “no amount of statistical manipulation” could conceal the realities facing Nigerians.
In a separate statement released on Sunday, Atiku rejected recent comments by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, who defended the government’s reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidy, debt management strategy and workers’ welfare initiatives.
Atiku argued that claims that subsidy savings were being used to reduce inherited liabilities were inconsistent with publicly available financial records.
He contended that although the government had converted Ways and Means advances into treasury bills and bonds, it had continued to accumulate new obligations, describing the process as debt restructuring rather than debt repayment.
Citing figures attributed to the Central Bank of Nigeria, Atiku alleged that government borrowing from the apex bank had increased significantly since President Tinubu assumed office, contradicting official claims that subsidy savings were reducing public debt.
He also questioned the government’s assertions on workers’ welfare, arguing that the new minimum wage and related allowances had not been fully implemented, while organised labour continued to raise concerns over outstanding payments.
On education funding, Atiku challenged the claim that proceeds from subsidy removal were financing the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), noting that the agency had previously disclosed receiving funding from money recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
He further blamed the administration’s economic policies for rising borrowing costs, arguing that higher interest rates had made credit more expensive for businesses while increasing the country’s debt-servicing burden.
According to Atiku, the government’s economic statistics do not reflect the realities faced by Nigerians, who continue to grapple with high food prices, inflation, unemployment, currency depreciation and declining purchasing power.
He maintained that governments should be judged by improvements in citizens’ quality of life rather than official presentations or economic projections.
However, the Federal Government has consistently defended its reforms, arguing that measures such as fuel subsidy removal and fiscal restructuring are necessary to stabilise public finances, attract investment and place the economy on a sustainable path.
The government’s economic policies continue to generate public debate, with supporters describing them as essential long-term reforms, while critics argue they have intensified inflation, increased living costs and weakened household purchasing power.