Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of deepening the hardship faced by Nigerian workers,
He said the administration has delivered “renewed hardship” instead of the promised hope.
In a statement marking Workers’ Day, Abubakar said the annual celebration should honour the resilience of workers, but lamented that many Nigerians are grappling with worsening economic conditions.
“As we mark this year’s commemoration, I write not with celebration in my heart, but with grief… for the Nigerian worker who was promised renewed hope and received instead renewed hardship,” he said.
The former vice-president criticised key economic reforms introduced by the administration, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy, which he described as necessary but poorly implemented.
While acknowledging that the subsidy regime was unsustainable, he argued that the government failed to cushion its impact, leading to soaring fuel prices, increased transportation costs and a sharp rise in the cost of living.
“The Nigerian worker… has been the primary victim of an administration that… is far more interested in increasing revenue than improving lives,” he said.
Abubakar also faulted the floating of the naira, noting that it significantly weakened purchasing power and made essential goods, including food and medicines, increasingly unaffordable.
He further criticised government spending priorities, alleging that savings from subsidy removal had not translated into meaningful benefits for citizens, but were instead channelled into projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
According to him, “a responsible government would have prepared Nigerians for the transition” by introducing social safety nets and ensuring equitable burden-sharing.
The opposition figure also took aim at rising taxes and increasing public debt, warning that such measures could further strain already struggling households.
Despite his criticism, Abubakar urged Nigerian workers to remain hopeful, insisting that the country still possesses the resources and human capital needed for transformation under the right leadership.