The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has accused President Bola Tinubu of shifting blame for Nigeria’s worsening hunger and poverty to previous administrations and opposition parties, insisting that his government must take responsibility for the hardship Nigerians face under his watch.
HURIWA said Tinubu’s decision to blame political opponents during the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2027 re-election campaign flag-off in Kaduna raised questions about his administration’s willingness to accept responsibility for its economic policies and security failures.
At the rally, Tinubu reportedly declared: “They created the hunger. They created the poverty. We are trying to eradicate it.”
But in a statement on Sunday, HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, faulted the President’s remarks, arguing that the APC could not continue to blame previous governments after nearly 12 years in power by the time Nigerians vote in 2027.
The rights group said whatever economic problems Tinubu inherited, his administration must answer for the consequences of its own decisions, including petrol subsidy removal and exchange-rate reforms, which it said had intensified pressure on households and businesses.
It demanded that the President explain how the savings from subsidy removal had been spent and identify the measurable benefits Nigerians had received from the reforms.
HURIWA said rising food prices, transportation costs, electricity tariffs and medicine prices had left millions struggling to meet basic needs, while small businesses faced mounting operating expenses.
The association also challenged Tinubu to stop treating complaints about hunger as political attacks, describing them instead as legitimate demands for accountability from citizens whose purchasing power and livelihoods had been severely affected.
Beyond the economy, HURIWA accused the President of failing to adequately address insecurity while trading accusations with political opponents.
It demanded explanations on efforts to rescue Nigerians reportedly held captive by terrorists and kidnappers in Borno, Kwara, Niger and other affected states.
The group said the President should use the campaign season to present a clear, measurable strategy for defeating armed groups, rescuing abducted citizens and protecting vulnerable communities.
HURIWA maintained that the APC must accept responsibility for its record since taking power in 2015, rather than placing the burden of current economic and security challenges on past administrations.
It urged Tinubu to demonstrate how his government would reduce poverty, restore purchasing power and improve security before seeking another mandate in 2027.
The association warned that Nigerians would judge the President not by accusations against his opponents, but by his administration’s performance in tackling hunger, insecurity and the rising cost of living.