Tinubu launches 2027 campaign as Atiku attacks handling of Nigeria’s hardship

President Bola Tinubu formally launched his campaign for re-election in 2027 at an All Progressives Congress rally in Kaduna on Saturday, accusing opposition politicians of causing the hunger and poverty experienced by Nigerians. Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar swiftly rejected that argument and said the administration must answer for its record. Speaking at Ranchers Bees Stadium, also known as Kaduna Township Stadium, Tinubu defended his government’s economic direction.

He told supporters that the opposition had created the hardship and said his administration was trying to eliminate it. He also insisted that the country would not return to the previous fuel-subsidy system. Tinubu described subsidy removal as a thing of the past, linking the old arrangement to corruption, falsified invoices and fuel smuggling.

His government has defended the policy, introduced alongside changes to the foreign-exchange regime, as necessary to reduce public spending, address alleged corruption and create conditions for longer-term growth. The president also said salaries were being paid on time and praised APC governors for development projects. He asked voters to give him another opportunity in 2027, promising to continue an agenda focused on prosperity, development and national growth.

His remarks came as high food prices, inflation and reduced purchasing power remain central public concerns described in the reports. Atiku, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, said Tinubu was shifting responsibility for the cost-of-living crisis to his opponents. In a statement issued through his Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku argued that Nigerians would judge the administration by their daily circumstances rather than campaign promises.

He questioned the consequences of the petrol-subsidy removal and the naira’s reported fall from about ₦471 to ₦1,329 against the dollar. He also cited a World Bank estimate that 63 per cent of Nigerians would be below the national poverty line in 2026. The supplied reports present those figures as part of Atiku’s criticism, not as independently verified findings within the coverage.

Atiku further demanded explanations for budget arrangements, spending listed under energy security and NNPC pipeline-related expenditure, as well as alleged gaps in external accounts and charges linked to an Abu Dhabi financing facility. He also criticised the government’s handling of killings, kidnappings and displacement. Vice-President Kashim Shettima defended Tinubu’s relationship with northern politicians, citing his past support for Atiku, Nuhu Ribadu and the late Muhammadu Buhari.

The rival claims establish the emerging campaign argument: Tinubu is presenting his reforms and political record as a basis for another term, while Atiku is making hardship and accountability the central test of the 2027 election.