Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration on economics, security, and governance, accusing it of incompetence, lawlessness, and political intimidation.
In a New Year speech broadcast on Thursday, Atiku stated that 2025 would be one of the most “punishing” years in Nigeria’s recent history, accusing the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government for economic mismanagement and lack of empathy.
The Peoples Democratic Party’s 2023 presidential candidate claimed that the country suffered from “economic suffocation, political recklessness, and policy bankruptcy,” stating that the Tinubu administration ran for months without a functional budget, relying on propaganda and excessive borrowing.
According to him, the argument over a disputed tax law showed the present administration’s decline.
“A government that begins reform with forgery cannot end with prosperity,” he said.
He also accused the ruling party of deliberately weakening Nigeria’s democratic institutions, alleging efforts to turn the country into a de facto one-party state through intimidation and state capture.
The former vice-president said insecurity worsened significantly in 2025, with kidnappings, abductions and violent crimes spreading across the country, while unemployment, labour unrest and the collapse of small businesses deepened citizens’ hardship.
“Despite these failures, compounded by the appointment of undistinguished and unfit individuals to represent Nigeria abroad, the country survived, not because of government competence, but because of the resilience of its people.
“I urge Nigerians to remain steadfast in the face of these hardships. This is one of the most painful New Year messages I have ever written, fully aware of the despair confronting millions due to the callous and soulless policies of the Tinubu-led APC government,” he stated.
He described demands for citizens to make sacrifices as “cruel,” arguing that leaders living in comfort while the masses suffer lack moral authority.
“Leadership without shared pain is not leadership; it is exploitation,” he stated.
Atiku further criticised what he described as selective anti-corruption enforcement, accusing the government of weaponising institutions against political opponents.
“The so-called anti-corruption crusade of this government is a facade; selective, vindictive, and politically motivated. It has become a tool for persecuting opposition figures rather than cleansing the system.
“Fighting corruption is essential, but when agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are weaponised against opponents while allies enjoy immunity, justice is mocked. Institutions must act without fear or favour,” Atiku said.
