N70,000 allowance won’t end hardship – Atiku tells Tinubu

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed the Federal Government’s N70,000 monthly transport allowance for public service workers as an inadequate response to the rising cost of living, saying it cannot address the hardship facing millions of Nigerians.

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Atiku said the allowance, scheduled to begin in November, was a desperate attempt to contain public anger over the economic crisis, arguing that the government’s policies had made virtually every aspect of daily life unaffordable.

In a statement on Wednesday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku said the crisis extended beyond transport costs to food, energy, rent and other essentials, leaving households and businesses struggling to survive.

“The Tinubu administration is scrambling from one announcement to another, showing its failure to grasp the crisis. The cost of living crisis reaches beyond transport: energy, food, rent and other essentials affect every part of daily life,” he said.

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Atiku illustrated the impact on ordinary Nigerians, saying, “Barbers pay more to power their clippers; restaurant owners face higher cooking costs; shopkeepers struggle to keep prices down; school bus operators pay more for fuel; and families still must buy food. Every business and household is affected. Does hardship end at the bus stop?”

The former vice president questioned why the relief was restricted to public service workers when private sector employees, traders, small businesses, transport operators and millions without formal jobs were equally affected by rising living costs.

“If public service workers receive N70,000 monthly for transport from November, what happens to private sector workers, traders, small businesses, transport operators and millions without formal jobs? The public workforce is only a fraction of Nigeria’s population. A temporary allowance for some cannot solve a national crisis,” he said.

Atiku also faulted the government for failing to resolve the effective date of a new minimum wage, demanding clarity on payment dates, eligibility for the allowance and when wage negotiations would produce a decision.

He said the six-month allowance would offer limited relief against soaring fuel prices, noting that N70,000 at about N1,400 per litre would buy roughly 50 litres of petrol.

“What meaningful difference can 50 litres make over an entire month?” he asked.

Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of creating the economic crisis through its policies and attempting to contain the consequences with temporary payments rather than address the underlying causes.

“What Nigerians are witnessing is a government that set the house ablaze with its reckless policies, then pretends to fight the inferno by throwing ice cubes at the flames. A temporary N70,000 allowance cannot extinguish a cost of living crisis this government ignited,” he said.

On previous government interventions, the ADC presidential candidate said the fuel discount, the 90-day cost-of-living plan and the compressed natural gas (CNG) programme had failed to deliver the promised relief.

“The government promised CNG would lower transport costs, but that promise has failed. For Nigerians still paying more to commute, the CNG programme is another scam of promises, while families face the same unaffordable prices,” he said.

Atiku further described the government’s rushed announcements as politically motivated, accusing President Bola Tinubu of offering temporary payments instead of confronting the consequences of fuel subsidy removal.

He proposed a transparently managed production subsidy for fuel refined in Nigeria as an alternative, arguing that it would provide relief at the pump while addressing corruption and leakages associated with previous subsidy arrangements.

“Atiku has proposed a practical alternative: a transparently managed production subsidy for fuel refined in Nigeria, delivering relief at the pump. Tinubu must not punish 250 million Nigerians for the corruption and leakages of a few thousand,” he said.

The former vice president said his campaign would pursue policies aimed at lowering living costs, raising household incomes and restoring dignity to work, insisting that Nigerians needed lasting relief rather than temporary allowances.

“N70,000 may help with transport, but it cannot explain why work, food and running a business have become unaffordable. Nigerians need lasting relief, decent wages and an economy that rewards honest work. When will life become affordable again?” he asked.