Atiku, Regional Groups Slam Tinubu’s Performance, Presidency Defends Economic Reforms

On May 29, 2025, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, alongside Afenifere, the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Ijaw National Congress (INC), and Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), sharply criticized President Bola Tinubu’s two-year performance, disputing his claims of improved security and economic growth. Tinubu, marking his second anniversary, highlighted a near 500% increase in external reserves from $4 billion in 2023 to over $23 billion by December 2024, and defended fuel subsidy removal and naira devaluation as necessary reforms. However, critics argued these policies have deepened poverty and hardship, with Atiku warning of a slide toward a one-party state under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Opposition Critique:

• Atiku Abubakar (PDP): Described Tinubu’s administration as anti-democratic, accusing it of economic mismanagement and favoring the wealthy. He highlighted a 150% debt surge from N49 trillion in 2023 to N144 trillion in 2024, calling the proposed $24 billion loan “reckless” and unsustainable, as debt servicing consumes 131% of revenue. Atiku vowed to build a united opposition to restore accountability, rejecting claims of economic revival as policies like subsidy removal have worsened hardship.
• Afenifere: National Organizing Secretary Kole Omololu lamented soaring food inflation (40.7% per NBS), transportation costs, and rents, urging investment in low-cost housing and subsidies. Despite acknowledging Tinubu’s political will, Afenifere noted persistent, sophisticated insecurity, including banditry and kidnapping, and called for cooperative federalism to address poverty and disunity.
• Ijaw National Congress (INC): President Benjamin Okaba dismissed Tinubu’s claims as subjective, citing systemic neglect in the Niger Delta, environmental degradation, and lack of equitable development. He urged deeper engagement with marginalized regions and restructuring for progress, contradicting World Bank and NBS data showing rising poverty (46% in 2024).
• Middle Belt Forum (MBF): President Bitrus Pogu labeled Tinubu’s tenure a “disaster,” criticizing the unplanned subsidy removal and naira devaluation for plunging Nigerians into poverty. He accused Tinubu of continuing Buhari’s nepotism, particularly with the Ministry of Livestock Development and RUGA plans, which MBF opposes, and urged policy reversals to address hunger.
• Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG): President Jamilu Charanchi acknowledged security gains, with military operations neutralizing bandit leaders, but criticized economic failures, noting persistent hardship.
• NNPP (Olufemi Oguntoyinbo): Highlighted 26 years of democracy but criticized leaders for military-like suppression, urging respect for democratic ethics and citizen welfare.‽web:9
• Adolphus Wabara (PDP): Called Tinubu’s economic revival claims an “insult,” pointing to rising market prices as evidence of economic decline, with inflation at 33.9% per NBS.

Presidency and APC Defense:

• Bayo Onanuga (Presidential Aide): Defended Tinubu, asserting democracy is thriving, with opposition parties freely organizing and APC avoiding internal conflicts. He cited stable exchange rates (N1,590/$), positive trade balances, and declining inflation (from 34.2% in January to 33.9% in April 2025 per NBS), projecting further relief in weeks due to falling food prices. Onanuga dismissed one-party state allegations as “absolute nonsense,” emphasizing freedoms of speech and association.
• Felix Morka (APC): Praised Tinubu for tackling generational challenges like fuel subsidies, unlike predecessors who delayed action. He described Nigeria under Buhari as a “phantom economy” riddled with corruption, with Tinubu’s reforms setting a path to peace, security, and prosperity. Morka acknowledged challenges but framed them as inherited, with Tinubu’s leadership navigating a “road less travelled” toward enduring progress.