‘If elected, I will make life more affordable’ – Atiku

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has promised to make life more affordable for Nigerians if elected president in 2027, while challenging President Bola Tinubu’s claim that the country has entered an era of prosperity.

Atiku said Nigerians were still struggling with the impact of rising prices despite any recent easing in the inflation rate.

According to him, a slowdown in inflation does not mean families have recovered what they lost as the cost of essential goods and services increased.

The former vice president stated this in his State of the Nation address delivered on Thursday to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary.

Atiku said his administration, if elected, would focus on reducing the burden of living costs and improving the purchasing power of Nigerians.

He also questioned the description of the current economic situation as an “age of prosperity,” arguing that the reality faced by many households remained different due to the high cost of basic necessities.

Comparing wages and fuel costs, he said a N70,000 minimum wage buys 50 litres of petrol, against 118 litres for N30,000 in April 2023. He also cited increases in egg and bread prices.

The former Vice President proposed “a capped, budgeted production subsidy tied to verified fuel refined in Nigeria only,”

excluding imported petrol.

He said costs would be published, payments independently audited and government waste cut, with benefits passed to consumers through lower pump prices. He said it would support refining and create jobs.

He further challenged government claims on cash transfers, asking how 10 million recipients of 75,000 naira were identified and paid. “If you could find 10 million people to pay, you can account for the payments,” he said.

He called for publication of loan and contract records, criticized overlapping budgets and unpaid contractors, and said progress should be measured by affordability and safety.

On elections, Atiku promised to respect electoral independence and support prompt publication of polling-unit results, pledging legal consequences for vote-buying and result manipulation.

“Your vote must count as you cast it,” he said.

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