The worsening cost of living has once again taken centre stage in Nigeria’s political debate, with opposition parties warning that the country risks sliding into a “beggarly nation” if urgent action is not taken.
The warning comes after Bola Tinubu’s administration dismissed Atiku Abubakar’s recent comments on hunger as “reckless and dangerous”, accusing him of inciting unrest.
Opposition leaders in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), however, insist that Atiku only echoed the reality facing millions who can barely afford food.
National Publicity Secretary of the NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, said Atiku did nothing wrong by drawing attention to the plight of ordinary Nigerians.
He said, “I do not think Atiku would be involved in inciting the Nigerian citizenry. As an elder statesman, I trust that he will not go that far. However, statesmen, when need be, must be bold enough to stand up and speak truth to power.”
He argued that hunger is real and should not be swept aside, adding that warnings to the government are necessary when citizens are groaning under hardship.
The PDP accused the APC of trying to silence critics instead of addressing the crisis.
Deputy National Youth Leader of the PDP, Timothy Osadolor, said Atiku merely “gave voice to the thoughts of millions who can hardly afford two meals a day.”
“It is shameful and painful at the same time when you see people entrusted with public trust, taking care of public finances and taxpayers’ money, acting and behaving the way these members of the current APC government are doing. Because they live in a cocoon, they are very much isolated from the realities of everyday Nigeria,” he said.
He warned that “the truth is that the cost of living in this country has reached a point that if something is not done about it, we may soon become a beggarly nation.”
Osadolor added that the government are only “vilifying and harassing Atiku because they know that what he said is true, and they don’t want Nigerians to have a voice.”
He challenged APC leaders to prove their popularity by walking without police protection, insisting that their fear of citizens shows they are out of touch.
Atiku had earlier warned that Nigeria’s worsening economic policies risk triggering public anger comparable to the French and Russian revolutions.
While APC dismissed the remarks as anti-democratic, opposition parties insist hunger and poverty are already pushing Nigerians to the breaking point.
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