***Says Nigeria’s Economic Reality Worse Than Neighbours
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his recent comparison of fuel prices in Nigeria with those in other African countries, insisting that such analysis ignores the harsh economic realities facing Nigerians.
Atiku said it was misleading to benchmark Nigeria’s petrol prices against countries like Kenya and South Africa without considering income levels, purchasing power, and the overall cost of living.
He argued that although fuel prices in Nigeria may appear lower on paper, the advantage is wiped out by weak wages, inflation, and worsening living standards.
According to him, “Nigeria today is more expensive to live in than Kenya,” noting that while minimum wage earners in Kenya reportedly take home the equivalent of about ₦170,000, Nigerian workers earn significantly less, making survival more difficult despite lower fuel prices.
The former Vice President stressed that economic fairness cannot be measured by fuel price alone, but by the relationship between income and expenditure, adding that Nigerians are currently under severe economic pressure.
Atiku further criticised what he described as selective comparisons by the federal government, warning that such narratives risk deepening public frustration at a time when citizens are already grappling with inflation, transport costs, and declining purchasing power.
He called on the government to focus on policies that provide real economic relief rather than “statistical comparisons” that do not reflect everyday hardship.
The remarks have further intensified public debate over Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis and the impact of recent fuel subsidy removal and price adjustments on households across the country
Atiku Faults Tinubu’s Fuel Price Comparison,
