Atiku in a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communication Phrank Shaibu, said Tinubu’s promise of renewed hope to Nigerians has turned to hopelessness.
He noted that Tinubu had failed to increase the minimum wage after decimating the naira and removing petrol subsidy, which he said, has pushed inflation to over 25 per cent.
“Many workers were hopeful that minimum wage would be announced today. However, what Tinubu decided to do was to add an allowance of N25,000 ($25) to the lowest paid workers for six months only.
“This is a man who is not in sync with the current realities that the people are living in,” he said.
Atiku who is candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last presidential election, said Tinubu claimed that he refused to increase the minimum wage so as not to worsen the inflation rate, but noted that if Tinubu cared so much about the inflation rate, “he ought to have planned properly before removing the petrol subsidy and forced the Central Bank to embark on a failed exchange rate unification policy which has not been backed by a corresponding boost in exports.
“In effect, Tinubu put the cart before the horse, and now that the horse has trampled on the cart, he is making excuses for his own incompetence. This is shameful.”
According tohim, the industrial action by the organised labour was evidence that Tinubu had failed to carry along the average Nigerian.
“He told the organised labour and Nigerians at large to be patient. While they gave him the benefit of the doubt and delayed a bit, he decided to proceed to court to obtain a court order barring them from going on strike. This has become the stock in trade of the APC.
“However, now that Nigerians are drowning from Tinubu’s ill-conceived policies, the organised labour and even the majority of Nigerians are threatening to disobey the court order.
“This is the sort of chaos that Tinubu’s illegitimate administration is about to push Nigerians into.
“Rather than negotiate with labour in an honest manner, Tinubu has been sponsoring crisis in affiliate unions of the NLC like the NURTW where his minion, MC Oluomo, and others are constantly attacking the NLC. Tinubu should be reminded of the fact that money cannot buy everything.”
He described Tinubu’s promise to distribute palliatives to the poorest of the poor as another ruse to fool innocent and desperate Nigerians.
Atiku told Tinubu that the removal of petrol subsidy is not an achievement, “rather, it is what is done with the money that is saved from the removal of subsidy that would determine if the regime is a success or not.”
He said Tinubu should apologise to former President Goodluck Jonathan for opposing fuel subsidy removal in 2012.
