Atiku Says Nigeria’s Pot Empty as He Counters Tinubu’s Independence Speech

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Independence Day speech, describing Nigeria as a country where the “pot is empty and cracked” while citizens go hungry.

President Tinubu had earlier marked Nigeria’s 65th independence anniversary with a message of hope, insisting that his administration was “turning the corner” through reforms in education, healthcare, the economy, and national security.

Atiku, in a statement issued through his aide on public communications, Phrank Shuaibu, said the president’s speech failed to reflect the reality of ordinary Nigerians. He argued that while schools may have increased in number, pupils in many places still sit on bare floors and teachers struggle with salaries that cannot feed their families.

He added that despite the president’s mention of more hospitals, patients continue to buy candles, syringes, and drugs before treatment begins, painting a picture of a healthcare system still in crisis.

On the economy, the opposition leader said citizens feel reforms only in the form of higher food prices, unaffordable transport, and families surviving on less than a meal a day. He likened the situation to “planting seeds that yield only bitter fruit.”

Atiku also questioned the government’s claims of victories in security. He noted that kidnappings, killings, and ransom payments remain widespread, citing the recent death of Arise TV journalist Somtochukwu, who was killed in a robbery attack in Lagos, as a reminder of the country’s fragile safety.

He further dismissed reports of government disbursements to poor households, asking where such support could be seen, since poverty and hunger still dominate everyday life. According to him, young people remain jobless and many graduates are forced into petty trading or commercial motorcycling to survive.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s 65 years of independence, Atiku said anniversaries should be moments of sober reflection rather than self-praise. He maintained that progress should be measured by food on the table, functional schools, affordable healthcare, reliable electricity, and secure communities — not statistics or speeches.

The former vice president concluded that resilience among Nigerians must not be mistaken for satisfaction, stressing that the government must provide visible change felt in markets, farms, and homes, not just in podium declarations.