Atiku seeks answers on Lekki shooting, economic hardship

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government over unresolved questions surrounding the October 20, 2020 Lekki shooting and the rising cost of living in the country.

Atiku, in a post on his X handle on Tuesday, said six years after the incident, Nigerians were still waiting for accountability over the shooting of #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos.

“Six years after the Lekki shooting, Nigeria is still waiting for a clear answer to one devastating question: Who gave the order?” the former Vice President asked.

He also criticised President Bola Tinubu’s response to the incident in October 2020, when he questioned the presence and conduct of protesters who suffered casualties during the shooting.

Atiku said the response appeared to focus on questioning the victims rather than demanding accountability for the violence against peaceful protesters.

He said public anger over the incident reflected lingering grief and distrust, particularly among young Nigerians who had demanded justice and accountability.

“The APC has governed Nigeria through these six years. It cannot keep asking Nigerians to remember the dead while refusing to confront the unanswered questions,” Atiku said.

He added that a government that failed to assure citizens that their lives mattered had neglected one of its fundamental responsibilities.

Atiku also linked the lingering questions over the Lekki shooting to the economic difficulties facing young Nigerians, citing rising petrol prices, declining purchasing power and shrinking opportunities.

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He said petrol selling at ₦1,405 per litre had made it increasingly difficult for Nigerians to afford transportation, food, education and housing.

“The APC promised renewal. For too many Nigerians, the experience has been rising costs, shrinking opportunity and a future pushed further out of reach,” he said.

Atiku illustrated the impact of the economic situation with the account of a young woman who, according to him, resigned from her job because her salary could no longer cover her transportation costs.

He quoted the woman as saying, “The pay no longer covers transport. Everything in Nigeria just dey increase in price. Feels like I’m working for Bolt guys.”

Describing the situation as evidence of the pressure on workers, Atiku said some employed Nigerians could no longer afford the cost of retaining their jobs.

He said his proposed Economic Recovery Plan was designed to make Nigeria more affordable through measures including support tied to domestically refined fuel, increased local production, protection for minimum-wage earners, student support and reductions in government waste.

Atiku said young Nigerians deserved both the truth about the Lekki shooting and an economy in which employment could provide a decent standard of living.

“Young Nigerians deserve the truth about Lekki. They deserve a government that protects life, and an economy that gives work a chance to lead somewhere,” he said.

He added that Nigerians had the right to question the government over what he described as the lack of answers on the shooting and the limited economic opportunities available to young people.