The 2023 presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, asserted that he did not lose the recent election; rather, it was “criminally stolen.”
He pointed fingers at President Bola Tinubu for the “excruciating pain” being felt by citizens due to what he termed “trial-and-error economic policies” implemented by the current administration.
In response, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, rebuffed Atiku’s claims, stating that his presidential bid was “rejected” by Nigerians due to the lack of detailed ideas and other reasons.
Tinubu emerged victorious in the 2023 presidential election, surpassing competition from Abubakar and the Labour Party’s Peter Obi.
In a series of tweets on Monday, Atiku maintained that he was deprived of victory, emphasizing, “Let me emphasise that the citizens who cast their votes in the 2023 presidential election are well aware that I did not lose; rather, we find ourselves in this predicament because the election was criminally stolen from the Nigerian people.”
He expressed concern over the economic turmoil Nigerians are experiencing, attributing it to the absence of a “coherent plan” from the president.
He tweeted, “I have taken note of the initial responses highlighting the striking disparity between President Tinubu’s faltering economic policies and the alternatives I have proposed.
It is exciting to witness such a vigorous debate on these critical matters, and I sincerely hope that this discourse will ultimately benefit Nigeria and its citizens.”
Atiku argued that the current economic crisis is a result of Tinubu’s “hasty ascent to power” and contrasted this with his own team’s development of a comprehensive recovery plan, which incorporated significant public input.
He quipped, “Isn’t it fascinating how the so-called tested Tinubu administration’s only policy response seems to be a national prayer led by the First Lady and the NSA? Just a mere 24 hours after I proposed my alternative solutions! What a bold strategy! In my humble interpretation of the scriptures, prayer indeed serves as a noble path to follow.
However, the sacred texts also counsel us to engage in diligent labour and hard work.”
He criticized Tinubu’s team for suggesting that his proposals are untested, stating, “What remains unproven is the erratic, trial-and-error nature of the policies so far implemented by this administration, which elucidates our present predicament.”
Reflecting on his tenure as Vice President alongside former President Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007, Atiku noted that the economy thrived during their administration, with the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growing from 6.59% to 15% in 2002.
“Let us not forget that under our economic stewardship between 1999 and 2003, Nigeria soared to the pinnacle of Africa’s economies, while their administration has relegated us to a disheartening fourth position,” he stated.
Atiku continued, “The average GDP rate under the Obasanjo administration, which I served in, was 6.59% and peaked at 15% in 2002; it was 7.98% under the late Yar’Adua administration and 4.8% under Jonathan, compared to the dismal 2.8% of the so-called tested Tinubu era.
Enough of the pains from the shambolic ‘bolekaja’ economic policy prescriptions!”
He concluded by questioning the government’s approach to taxation: “We cannot hope to tax our way out of the economic quagmire wrought by these misguided experimental policies of a novice administration.
Numerous nations, such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Monaco (an EU territory with a zero-income tax policy), among many others, have emerged as economic powerhouses by fostering growth through lower taxation.
Why, then, are we fixated on inflicting further hardship upon an already struggling populace?”
“One can only speculate that Tinubu’s government is anchored to a mere Tea-plan, which can only lead to a T-pain,” Atiku added.
