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The Atiku Media Office says it is compelled to respond to the recent remarks by President Bola Tinubu in Bayelsa, where he sought to justify the deepening hardship in Nigeria by drawing comparisons with fuel prices in other countries.
The former Vice President was reacting to remarks made by President Tinubu during his visit to Bayelsa.
In a statement issued Saturday in Abuja by Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said such “narrative is not only misleading—it is a grave distortion of the lived reality of Nigerians.
“It is both curious and troubling that the President would isolate fuel prices as a metric of economic comfort while ignoring the far more critical indicators of purchasing power, income levels, and cost of living. This selective reasoning betrays either a fundamental misunderstanding of economic realities or a deliberate attempt to deflect from policy failures.
“Yes, petrol prices in Nigeria may appear lower than in countries like Kenya or South Africa. But this comparison collapses instantly when placed against the backdrop of economic realities. Nigeria today is more expensive to live in than Kenya, with the average cost of living significantly higher, despite lower fuel prices.”
The statement added that more alarming is the collapse in earning power.
“Kenya’s GDP per capita is nearly double that of Nigeria, and a minimum wage earner in Nairobi takes home the equivalent of about ₦170,000—more than twice Nigeria’s ₦70,000. In effect, while a Kenyan earns more and pays more, a Nigerian earns far less and is forced to survive under crushing economic pressure. This is the reality the President chose to ignore.”
According to former Vice President, while Kenya operates a tiered wage structure that reflects the economic realities of its cities and regions, Nigeria continues to impose a rigid national minimum wage that fails to account for the glaring disparities in cost of living across the country—thereby worsening the burden on millions of urban Nigerians.
“The implication is clear: affordability is not defined by price alone, but by the relationship between income and expenditure. On this measure, Nigerians have never had it worse.
“It is, therefore, deeply disappointing that at a time when citizens expect empathy, clarity, and decisive leadership, the President has chosen the path of statistical convenience.
“A government that relies on selective comparisons while its citizens grapple with rising poverty, inflation, and declining living standards risks appearing not only out of touch, but indifferent.
“Nigerians are not asking for comparisons—they are demanding relief.”
The statement therefore urged Tinubu administration to confront the full scope of the economic crisis it has created, rather than seek refuge in arguments that collapse under the weight of facts.
“Nigerians deserve honesty. Nigerians deserve better.”
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