Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s reported ₦70,000 monthly transport allowance for public service workers, questioning whether the measure can ease the wider cost-of-living crisis. In a statement issued through Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku argued that private-sector employees, traders, small businesses and Nigerians without formal jobs also face rising expenses.
Atiku said the allowance, reportedly scheduled to begin in November, would offer only temporary relief while food, rent, energy and transport costs continue to strain households. He also questioned the unresolved timeline for a new minimum wage and called on the government to clarify eligibility, payment dates and the status of wage negotiations. His statement further criticised previous cost-of-living measures and the government’s compressed natural gas (CNG) transport initiative.
The former vice president proposed a transparently managed production subsidy for fuel refined in Nigeria as an alternative aimed at reducing pump prices. He maintained that Nigerians need lasting measures to lower living costs, improve household incomes and make work more rewarding, rather than temporary payments. These criticisms and proposals reflect Atiku’s position on the government’s economic policies.
