Atiku Turns Tinubu’s ‘Cancer Patient’ Analogy Back on Him
Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has challenged President Bola Tinubu over his description of Nigeria as a cancer patient, questioning the impact of the treatment the country has undergone under his administration.
Atiku spoke on Thursday in Abuja during a world press conference held to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary.
Tinubu had described Nigeria as a cancer patient in his Independence Day broadcast, using the analogy while defending the economic reforms introduced by his administration.
But Atiku turned the comparison back on the President, asking why Nigerians were finding it increasingly difficult to afford food, medicine and transportation after three years of the Tinubu administration.
“Bola, you called Nigeria a patient with cancer. After three years of your treatment, why is it harder for Nigerians to buy food, pay for medicine, or even get to work?” Atiku asked.
He also questioned why government revenue could increase while the purchasing power of ordinary Nigerians continued to decline.
Atiku said Nigerians had been asked to endure the hardship because the government was treating the country’s economic problems, but argued that a doctor should listen when a patient complains about worsening pain.
“You said Nigerians must endure the pain because you are curing the disease, but when a patient cries out, a doctor listens,” he said.
He maintained that the struggles faced by Nigerians should not be presented as proof that the government’s economic policies are working.
“A patient who cannot afford to live is not proof that the treatment is working. Absolutely not,” Atiku said.
The ADC candidate also reminded Tinubu that the APC had governed Nigeria for eight years before the current administration took office.
He questioned the President’s framing of Nigeria’s problems, arguing that the ruling party must also account for its years in government before Tinubu became President.
“And you cannot speak as though you arrived from the moon in 2023,” Atiku said.
His remarks add to the political debate over the economic reforms of the Tinubu administration, particularly their effects on household finances and the ability of Nigerians to meet the rising cost of basic needs.
