Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised what he called the deliberate weaponisation of hunger through the distribution of food and palliatives in Northern Nigeria by President Bola Tinubu, arguing that the initiative amounts to political manipulation disguised as compassion.
In a statement released Friday in Abuja by Phrank Shaibu, his senior special assistant on public communication, Atiku reacted to the recent rollout led by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu involving 100 trucks of rice and ₦1.2 billion in palliatives distributed across northern states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He said Nigerians are witnessing a “tragic normalisation of poverty,” noting that rising inflation has eroded household incomes and pushed millions into severe hardship. According to him, rather than tackling the root causes, the government is focused on optics—staging food distributions while underlying suffering worsens.
Atiku argued that the crisis in the North stems directly from policy failures, pointing to declining agricultural productivity since 2023. He attributed this to insecurity affecting farmlands, forcing farmers to abandon key agricultural zones and weakening food supply chains.
He added that the same hardship is now being used politically, with food distribution turned into a campaign tool instead of implementing sustainable food security policies.
Tracing the pattern back, Atiku referenced a Ramadan-period initiative last year by the president’s son, Seyi Tinubu, describing it as an early version of what has now become a broader government approach. He said what was presented as charity has evolved into a full policy prioritising optics over substance.
He dismissed the current palliative efforts as inadequate for addressing deeper issues like rising food prices, unemployment, and insecurity.
Atiku stressed that Nigerians should not be treated as dependents relying on handouts, insisting that long-term economic reforms are needed instead of temporary relief measures.
He contrasted this approach with what he described as responsible governance—one that ensures food security, stabilises the economy, supports farmers, and restores citizens’ purchasing power.
Beyond economic concerns, he warned that such practices pose risks to democracy. According to him, using hunger as a political tool undermines citizens’ ability to make independent choices and erodes the moral basis of governance.
He concluded by urging Nigerians to reject survival-driven politics and demand leadership focused on dignity, welfare, and long-term stability, stating that the priority should be governance, not gestures.
