Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, describing them as “misguided, erratic, trial-and-error and shambolic” and causing untold hardship for Nigerians.
Atiku emphasized that his team devised a comprehensive Recovery Plan, welcoming significant input from Nigerians to ensure an inclusive and well-considered approach. “I have taken note of the initial responses highlighting the striking disparity between President Tinubu’s faltering economic policies and the alternatives I have proposed,” he said.
He questioned why the administration is fixated on increasing taxes, citing examples of countries like the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Monaco, which have achieved economic growth through lower taxation. “You can’t tax Nigerians out of the economic mess caused by your misguided policies,” he stated.
Atiku highlighted the economic performance under his watch during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, noting that Nigeria soared to the pinnacle of Africa’s economies. In contrast, President Tinubu’s administration has relegated Nigeria to a disheartening fourth position. “The average GDP rate under the Obasanjo administration was impressive, and we can achieve that again,” he argued.
The former presidential candidate criticized the Presidency’s claim that his proposals lacked detail and were rejected by voters. “It is uncharitable for Tinubu’s team to claim that my proposals remain untested,” he said, emphasizing that his approach was inclusive and well-considered.
Atiku urged the administration to reconsider its economic policies, emphasizing that Nigerians are already struggling and should not be burdened further. “We cannot hope to tax our way out of the economic quagmire wrought by these misguided experimental policies of a novice administration,” he concluded.
