2027 Election: What Nigerians Are Saying After Tinubu’s Latest Statement

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President Bola Tinubu has come under renewed criticism following his claim that opposition politicians were responsible for the hunger and poverty confronting Nigerians, sparking fresh controversy ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Tinubu made the statement during the flag-off of his re-election campaign in Kaduna on Saturday, October 24. He accused opposition figures of causing the hardship in the country, while assuring Nigerians that his administration was working to eliminate poverty and improve their living conditions.

The Tinubu government has faced persistent criticism from analysts over its management of the economy, with many linking its policies to the worsening financial difficulties experienced by citizens.

Rather than accept responsibility for the situation, however, the President shifted the blame to opposition parties, promising prosperity to Nigerians if he secured another term in office and assuring supporters that they would not regret voting for him again.

“It gives me joy to remember the victory you gave me to become president. I come again to thank you for that, to seek your mandate for a second term and to keep a promise on prosperity, continuity and progress. I have an argument; I hear my opponents talking about hunger and poverty. Who created it? They did; they created hunger, they created poverty, but we are trying to eradicate it.

“We pay salaries regularly, our governors are working, I am proud of them, they are developing. To you, the children of our country, it’s a promise of a second term – prosperity; you will not regret going to the votes,” he said.

The President also defended the removal of the fuel subsidy, which has become a major point of contention ahead of the 2027 polls. Some opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, have pledged to restore the subsidy if elected.

At the Kaduna rally, Tinubu urged his supporters to disregard what he described as deceptive claims from his political opponents concerning the policy.

“Be careful; watch them. Don’t let them lie to you. What is past is in the past. Fuel subsidy is in our past: no more corruption, no more falsification of invoices, no more lies, no more smuggling of fuel.

“It is APC all the way. Your prosperity is here. Your future is in your hands. The promise of a better tomorrow is here once again. Go out massively to elect me again on January 16, 2027,” he said.

The President’s comments have, however, been met with widespread disapproval, as many Nigerians have taken to different platforms to express their dissatisfaction.

Some critics questioned Tinubu’s recollection of the country’s economic situation, asking why he would blame opposition parties for the current hardship when petrol reportedly sold for N87 per litre and a bag of rice cost N8,000 before the APC came to power.

Others interpreted the statement as an admission that his administration had failed to address the economic challenges facing the country.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar described Tinubu’s remarks as a shameless attempt to evade responsibility for the suffering Nigerians were experiencing under his government.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), responded by describing the President’s comments as a delusional and shameless attempt to avoid accountability for the hardship allegedly caused by his administration’s policies.

He argued that a president could not introduce policies that worsen economic conditions and then blame others for the consequences.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) also called on Tinubu to concentrate on finding solutions to the difficulties facing Nigerians rather than blaming opposition parties.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, made the call during an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief while reacting to the President’s comments at the political event in Kaduna.

Director questioned whether Tinubu was suggesting that hunger had only become a problem since his administration assumed office nearly three years ago.

“Is he saying that the hunger started in the last three years? Because he was also the person who said that hunger has always been with us,” he said.

The NDC spokesman maintained that the President should focus on tackling the country’s economic problems instead of accusing the opposition of creating them.

He added that even if opposition parties had contributed to the situation, the responsibility to address it rested with the government currently in power.

“Assuming, but not conceding, that the opposition created hunger, his business and responsibility is to eliminate hunger, because that is why he told Nigerians he’s ‘Emi Lokan,’” he said.

Director further argued that the President’s remarks suggested that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had little to show Nigerians as it prepares for the 2027 general elections.

“It has shown that the APC has no achievement to campaign with,” he said.

The economic hardship in Nigeria intensified following the removal of the fuel subsidy on the day Tinubu was inaugurated in May 2023. Since then, critics have repeatedly called on the government to demonstrate how the savings and additional revenue from its reforms, including subsidy removal, have improved the lives of ordinary citizens.

Tinubu has maintained that the fuel subsidy will not be restored, defending its removal as necessary to cut government spending, address alleged corruption within the subsidy system and create the conditions for sustainable economic growth.

Despite the President’s attempt to attribute hunger and poverty to the opposition, Nigerians have continued to question the basis for his assertion.

A secondary school teacher in Lagos, Mr Adewale Adepoju, expressed disbelief at the President’s remarks, questioning what Tinubu thought of the people he governs.

“Does the President think that we are fools? The opposition he is referring to should be the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that handed power to the APC. Yes, he can’t be talking about the APC.

“Now, even the dumbest person in Nigeria knows that life was much better under the PDP. During the PDP era, Nigerians bought a litre of petrol for N87.

“A bag of rice was just N8,000. A bag of cement was less than N1,000. Garri was food for the poor. In fact, the poor didn’t have to bother about food; the poor man bothered about other basic needs like a good house and beautiful clothes, but not food.

“Today, even the rich are crying. It all started in 2015 when the APC took over from the PDP. They came with a change mantra, but we never knew that the change they preached was a negative one. We were crying that Buhari was wicked, but we didn’t know that he was still a very good man.

“But with Tinubu, Nigerians discovered that Buhari was a good man. At least under Buhari, we were still buying fuel at N167 per litre and a bag of rice for N20,000. At least, garri was still for the poor.

“Today, all that has changed. Hunger has become our national anthem. Insecurity walks on all fours. Poverty has reached the highest level, and Nigerians are spoiling for a revolution. And instead of finding solutions to the myriad problems tearing the country apart, a President is busy shifting blame.

“For me, Tinubu knows what he is doing. He is taking Nigerians for a ride. But I want to remind him that he can only fool some people some of the time, and possibly some people all the time, but he cannot fool all the people all the time.

“This time around, his trick has failed. We know where our hunger and poverty emanated from, and it is from him. Since he assumed office in May 2023, Nigerians have not known peace; they have been going through hell, living from hand to mouth, while he, his household, associates and a few cronies swim in opulence.

“We shall take our destiny into our hands on January 16, 2027, as he advised at that Kaduna rally,” he stated.

The controversy also generated reactions on social media, where users questioned the President’s attempt to hold the opposition responsible for the country’s economic difficulties.

An X user, @Naughti_awol, challenged Tinubu’s claim, pointing to the APC’s years in power and questioning which opposition administration the President was referring to.

“APC has been in power since 2015; that’s about 12 years now. When did the opposition cause hunger? Or are you telling me that Tinubu is blaming Jonathan?

“Let’s even assume the opposition, that’s the PDP, caused hunger while in power; the APC has been in charge for 12 years and still can’t change the story. That’s beyond incompetence, and it’s all we need to know that Tinubu has to go.”

Another X user, @SarautaMaryam, expressed surprise at the President’s remarks, arguing that the economic conditions Nigerians experienced before the APC took office contradicted his claim. She also warned against giving Tinubu another term, describing such a decision as potentially disastrous.

She wrote: “The audacity is astounding. Those who left Nigerians buying spaghetti at N100, eggs at N50 and petrol at N87 per litre are now being blamed for creating hunger.

“Let’s be clear: APC made hunger a national symbol. A second term for Tinubu could take Nigerians from hunger to outright famine.”

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