The political feud between Nigeria`s major political actors deepened on Tuesday as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar accused President Bola Tinubu of economic inconsistency. Atiku alleged that the administration dismissed his recommendations for reducing the cost of living, only to rebrand and present the same objectives under its "Renewed Hope" agenda.

In a sharply worded statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president criticized the federal government’s sudden policy shifts. He argued that the presidency cannot logicality condemn opposition policies as backward while simultaneously promoting similar interventions as progressive relief measures.

Dismissing recent presidential critiques, the statement clarified that Atiku remains focused on engaging the millions of Nigerians currently bearing the brunt of severe economic pressures.

“Atiku has more important people to engage directly: the mother struggling to feed her children; the civil servant whose salary disappears into transportation; the farmer paying more to move produce to market; the student being pushed into debt simply to remain in school; and millions of Nigerians whose daily reality bears no resemblance to the prosperity advertised in your tweets,” the statement read.

The core of Atiku`s critique targeted the administration`s conflicting stances on energy subsidies and public welfare intervention. He questioned why the presidency initial labeled his energy cost-reduction proposals as "a return to the past," yet recently promised to deploy cheaper transportation, boost food production, and roll out direct relief packages within weeks.

“Bola, why now?” Atiku questioned, highlighting that citizens have endured over three years of skyrocketing transport fares, crushing food inflation, and stagnant wages that lose purchasing power monthly. He noted that families nationwide have been forced to skip meals, pull children out of schools, and skip medical treatments just to survive.

Atiku challenged the narrative that citizens needed to endure prolonged economic hardship before the administration realized that growth must translate to the dining tables and pockets of ordinary Nigerians.

“Throughout that period, your government repeatedly told Nigerians that their suffering was the unavoidable price of reform. Now, suddenly, cheaper transportation has become urgent," Atiku said. "Why is intervention backward when Atiku proposes it, but progressive when you announce it? You cannot condemn cheaper living when Atiku proposes it and rename the same objective Renewed Hope when you promise it. That is not economic consistency. It is political convenience.”