Atiku Criticizes Tinubu's Food Palliatives

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticized the administration of President Bola Tinubu, accusing it of 'weaponizing hunger and poverty' through the distribution of food palliatives in Northern Nigeria. Atiku Abubakar, through his Senior Special Assistant Phrank Shaibu, described the initiative, which included the First Lady Remi Tinubu flagging off the distribution of 100 trucks of rice and ₦1.2 billion in palliatives, as a 'calculated political performance' rather than genuine governance. He argued that the administration's policy failures and inability to secure farmlands have led to declining agricultural productivity and increased hardship in Nigeria, particularly in the North. Atiku Abubakar also referenced earlier food distribution efforts by Seyi Tinubu as a precursor to this 'entrenched strategy of politicizing hunger.' He called on Nigerians to reject 'stomach infrastructure politics' and demand leadership focused on long-term economic stability and food security, warning that such practices undermine democratic values.