Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has told President Bola Tinubu to begin preparing his handover notes ahead of the 2027 presidential election, declaring that Nigerians have endured enough of the administration’s economic policies.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, made the demand through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja.

He also criticised the Federal Government’s latest plan to collaborate with state governors on reducing public transport fares, describing the move as an inadequate response to the cost-of-living pressures that followed the removal of fuel subsidy.

Atiku argued that the government’s Compressed Natural Gas conversion programme had failed to provide relief on the scale required, citing figures indicating that about 120,000 vehicles had been converted to CNG in more than three years.

He said the figure represented less than one per cent of the estimated 14 million vehicles operating on Nigerian roads and questioned whether the programme could meaningfully cushion the impact of higher transportation and energy costs.

The former vice president further faulted Tinubu’s recent position that lower fuel costs should result in reduced transport fares, saying the statement highlighted the gap between government policy and the economic realities confronting Nigerians.

According to Atiku, the removal of the fuel subsidy without what he described as an adequate cushioning mechanism contributed to rising transportation expenses, food prices and business costs.

He also claimed that his proposal for a production-based subsidy, which he said was previously criticised by the administration, was now gaining public attention as the government explored measures to make transportation more affordable.

Atiku maintained that reducing the cost of operating buses would have limited impact if Nigerians lacked the purchasing power to afford transportation.

He said his proposed approach would focus on supporting domestic refining, monitoring oil production, reducing energy costs and ensuring that economic relief reaches commuters, farmers, workers, traders and small businesses.

Atiku ultimately challenged the Tinubu administration to account for its economic record ahead of the 2027 election, saying Nigerians should be offered a broader solution to the cost-of-living crisis rather than temporary relief measures.