Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar says the President Bola Tinubu administration has subjected Nigerian workers to renewed hardship instead of the hope it promised in 2023.
In a statement on Thursday to commemorate this year’s Workers’ Day, Abubakar said May Day offers a moment to celebrate the resilience of a workforce that endures much but receives little.
“Every first day of May, nations across the world pause to honour the dignity of labour and the men and women whose sweat and toil sustain civilisation,” he said.
“But as we mark this year’s commemoration, I write not with celebration in my heart, but with grief. Grief for the Nigerian worker who was promised renewed hope received instead renewed hardship.”
The former vice-president said Tinubu’s “renewed hope” slogan had promised a departure from past suffering, raising expectations that the government would prioritise the welfare of citizens.
“The Nigerian worker — the teacher, the nurse, the factory hand, the civil servant, the artisan — has been the primary victim of an administration that, by all observable evidence, is far more interested in increasing the revenue at its disposal than in improving the lives of the citizens it governs,” Abubakar said.
He said although the removal of fuel subsidy was necessary, it was “recklessly executed”, noting that while trillions of naira had been saved, the impact had not been felt by citizens.
“The subsidy had become a fiscal haemorrhage that enriched cabal middlemen while denying the government of the resources needed for development,” he said.
He added that since the subsidy removal, the price of fuel has soared, transportation costs have tripled, while the cost of food and other basic goods has skyrocketed.
Abubakar said a responsible government would have prepared Nigerians for the transition by putting in place social safety nets, supporting the most vulnerable, and ensuring that the burden of reform was equitably shared.
Instead, he said, the administration left millions of workers to bear the brunt of the policy.
“Rather than being channelled into programmes that would directly benefit Nigerians — infrastructure, healthcare, education, or economic stimulus — these funds have been shared among the various tiers of government,” he said.
“The bulk of the federal government’s share, disturbingly, appears to be financing the controversial $11 billion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.”
‘BRAZEN CONVERSION OF PUBLIC RESOURCES’
He alleged that although the coastal road project may be desirable, it was not subjected to competitive bidding or due process, but “awarded to a company owned by a man that President Tinubu himself has publicly acknowledged as his business partner”.
“This is not governance, it is the brazen conversion of public resources for private enrichment,” he said.
Abubakar also faulted the decision to float the naira, saying it triggered a sharp depreciation that eroded the purchasing power of Nigerians and worsened the impact of subsidy removal.
“For the Nigerian worker earning a salary denominated in naira, this collapse was devastating. Whatever purchasing power had survived years of inflation was wiped out,” he said.
“Imported goods, including medicines, food items, and educational materials, became unaffordable. In fact, some goods, especially medicines, are no longer on the shelves.
“Businesses that relied on imported inputs shut down or drastically reduced their operations, leading to job losses.
“Workers who had spent decades building careers found themselves unable to provide for their families in any meaningful way.”
He also criticised the administration’s tax policies, saying increasing taxes at a time when citizens are struggling amounts to cruelty rather than fiscal responsibility.
“A government that truly serves its people grows the tax base by growing the economy — by creating the conditions for businesses to thrive, for jobs to multiply, for incomes to rise,” he said.
“When more people are employed and earning more, tax revenues naturally increase without placing an additional burden on those who are already struggling.”
The former vice-president further criticised the government’s borrowing, saying it has worsened the country’s debt profile.
He urged the administration to explain how borrowed funds have been utilised, especially as it has struggled to fully fund its budgets in recent years.
He, however, urged Nigerian workers to keep hope alive, noting that the country still possesses the resources and talent needed for transformation, with leadership being the missing link.
“On this Workers’ Day, I reaffirm my commitment to building a Nigeria where the dignity of labour is matched by its reward — where hard work pays, where honesty is protected, and where government truly serves the people,” he added.
Abati Media
