2027: I will make life affordable if elected

Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, has pledged to make life more affordable if elected in 2027, criticizing President Bola Tinubu’s claim that Nigeria had entered an age of prosperity.

Atiku said easing inflation does not restore what families have lost, pointing to rising prices for essentials.

The ADC presidential candidate said in his State of the Nation address on the occasion of Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary on Thursday.

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.