Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has urged President Bola Tinubu to stop blaming former President Muhammadu Buhari and past administrations for Nigeria’s current challenges, insisting that Nigerians expect solutions—not excuses.
In a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said any government that continues to focus on previous administrations more than three years into its tenure is admitting it has run out of ideas.
“The Constitution did not swear President Tinubu into office to explain history. It swore him into office to change it. Great leaders are remembered for solving problems, not for endlessly rehearsing them,” Atiku said.
While acknowledging that Tinubu inherited economic challenges, the former vice president argued that governance should be measured by results rather than constant references to the past.
Atiku also criticised the administration over what he described as fiscal recklessness and questioned the President’s recent claim that “prosperity is on the horizon.”
“Mr President says prosperity is on the horizon. Nigerians are asking, ‘Whose horizon?’” he stated.
According to Atiku, many Nigerians are still battling inflation, rising living costs, unemployment and insecurity, making the government’s optimism disconnected from the realities faced by ordinary citizens.
He also faulted Tinubu’s comparison of Nigeria with China, arguing that China’s economic success was driven by long-term investments in manufacturing, infrastructure, education and technology rather than rhetoric.
Atiku said Nigeria’s large youthful population should be seen as an economic advantage and pledged that an ADC-led government would prioritise investments in manufacturing, agriculture, education, infrastructure and export-driven industries to unlock the country’s economic potential.
The former vice president further described as insensitive any suggestion that Nigerians should endure today’s hardship because previous generations also experienced difficult times. he said.
He concluded by urging the President to move beyond official briefings and engage more directly with the everyday realities facing Nigerians.
