Group slams Atiku over ‘revolution’ remark, says hunger claim is reckless

The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) has strongly criticized former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his recent comments suggesting that Nigeria may face a hunger-induced revolution. The group described the remarks as “delusional,” “reckless wishful thinking,” and a reflection of “limitless hallucinations of a power-monger.”

In a statement issued on Monday and jointly signed by its Chairman, Emeka Nwankpa, and Secretary, Dapo Okubanjo, the pro-Tinubu group said it was both “shameful and shocking” for a former Vice President to project a doomsday scenario of mass hunger and possible uprising in the country.

“Like many Nigerians, we were shocked and alarmed to see a statement in the name of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar projecting a looming revolution based on what he described as an increasing spate of hunger among underprivileged Nigerians after two years of the President Bola Tinubu administration,” the statement read.

TMSG dismissed Atiku’s claims of widespread hunger as false, insisting that food prices were beginning to drop due to “effective economic policies” implemented by the Tinubu administration. It cited the Consumer Price Index (CPI) released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which showed a decline in headline inflation for the fifth consecutive month in August.

The group further accused the former Vice President of deliberately attempting to incite the public with a false narrative, drawing a controversial comparison to past unrest in Nepal. “It looks like Atiku and his co-travellers, in a fit of hallucination, simply painted a scenario in their heads and put it in the public space in a bid to incite Nigerians,” the group alleged.

While acknowledging the economic challenges caused by the removal of fuel subsidies in May 2023, the group argued that the country is now in a stronger economic position. It also noted ongoing government initiatives aimed at boosting food production and reducing poverty.

TMSG criticized Atiku’s political history, pointing to previous statements he made about the potential for violence if democratic processes were disrupted. It referenced remarks the former Vice President made in 2010 about violent change becoming inevitable if peaceful change was blocked, and his warnings during the Buhari administration about potential ethno-religious crises.

The statement concluded by urging Nigerians to disregard what it called Atiku’s “ploys to instigate them against a government that has successfully stabilised the economy and is working to put the country on a path of sustainable growth and development.”