‘We Will, We Will, We Will’: Atiku Slams Tinubu Over Promises, Questions Achievements After Three Years

African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over repeated promises in his State of the Nation Address on Independence Day, asking Nigerians to demand an account of what has been achieved after more than three years in office.

Atiku, in his reaction to the address, said Tinubu’s speech was dominated by assurances that the administration would make farming cheaper, power factories, create jobs and bring down prices.

“Bola, your speech is full of ‘we will, we will, we will, we will, we will make farming cheaper, we will power factories, we will create jobs, we will bring down prices,’” Atiku said.

He questioned the gap between the administration’s promises and the experiences of Nigerians, asking, “What have you done with the time already given to you?”

The former Vice President also challenged Tinubu’s description of Nigeria as a patient suffering from cancer, asking why, after more than three years of the administration’s “treatment,” Nigerians were still struggling to afford food and medicine and meet the cost of transportation.

Atiku acknowledged the President’s argument that increased agricultural production and lower energy costs for manufacturers would eventually lead to lower prices, but said farmers and manufacturers were currently facing conditions that made cheaper production difficult.

“You said that when farmers produce more cheaply, and manufacturers spend less on electricity, prices will fall. Of course they will. But farmers and manufacturers are telling you that they cannot produce cheaply anymore,” he said.

He pointed to insecurity affecting farmers and rising energy costs facing businesses, arguing that Nigerians could not rely on future promises while dealing with immediate economic difficulties.

“A farmer who cannot safely reach his field cannot wait for a theory of cheaper food. A factory paying more to keep his machines running cannot wait for another promise of industrial growth,” Atiku said.

The ADC candidate also addressed the President’s reference to young Nigerians building technology companies, saying he had witnessed the talent and ambition of young people across the country.

“I see their talent wherever I go. I even produced them in my university,” he said, adding that young Nigerians were learning new skills, creating things and seeking opportunities to contribute to the country.

Atiku said the challenge was to translate the ambition of young Nigerians into sustainable economic opportunities, stressing that “the farms need work that pays enough to get them through the month.”

He stated that while ambition remained abundant among Nigerians, the government needed to demonstrate concrete results rather than relying on promises of what it would do in the future.