‘ 2025 Exposed Tinubu’s ‘Incompetence, Policy Bankruptcy’ – Atiku

Former Nigerian Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has described 2025 as one of the most punishing years in Nigeria’s recent history, attributing widespread hardship to the policies and leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government.

In a New Year message to Nigerians, Atiku highlighted the struggles experienced by citizens across the country, including economic difficulties, insecurity, and governance challenges under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

He said, “For millions of long-suffering Nigerians, the only consolation is that 2025, one of the most punishing years in our recent history, has come to an end. It was a year defined by economic suffocation, political recklessness, and governance without empathy under the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.”

Atiku noted issues with budget management and government borrowing as part of the difficulties experienced during the year.

He said, “The past year exposed, in stark terms, the incompetence and policy bankruptcy of President Bola Tinubu.

“Governing for months without a functional budget, the administration relied on propaganda while borrowing recklessly, pushing the nation to the brink of economic collapse.”

He also raised concerns about the handling of a tax law, describing it as an example of administrative irregularity.

“Nothing better captures the decay of this government than the scandal of a forged tax law, shamelessly branded a ‘reform.’

“Even more disturbing was the President’s refusal to allow due legislative and legal processes to address what is clearly a criminal act,” Atiku said.

He further stated, “A government that begins reform with forgery cannot end with prosperity.”

On democracy, the former vice-president said the APC contributed to the weakening of democratic institutions during the year.

“In the same year, Nigeria’s democratic foundations were deliberately weakened, as the APC worked systematically to deform our multiparty democracy into a de facto one-party state through coercion, intimidation, and state capture,” he said.

Regarding security and economic performance, Atiku highlighted debt and rising crime rates.

He said, “While drowning the nation in debt, the government falsely claimed to have met revenue targets,” adding that, “Meanwhile, insecurity worsened dramatically. Kidnappings, abductions, and violent crimes surged, affecting citizens young and old alike.”

He noted the impact of these developments on communities, stating, “Lives were lost, livelihoods destroyed, and communities terrorized, while government assurances rang hollow.”

Atiku concluded by acknowledging the resilience of Nigerians despite the challenges.

“Despite these failures, compounded by the appointment of undistinguished and unfit individuals to represent Nigeria abroad, the country survived, not because of government competence, but because of the resilience of its people,” he said.