Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his comparison of Nigeria’s fuel prices with those of other African countries, arguing that the analysis ignores the broader economic realities facing Nigerians.

Atiku, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made his position known in a statement issued in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.

The response followed Tinubu’s remarks during a visit to Bayelsa State, where the President said Nigerians should be grateful that petrol prices remain lower than in countries like Kenya, despite prevailing economic hardship.

Reacting, Atiku described the comparison as “misplaced,” insisting that fuel price alone is not a sufficient measure of economic well-being.

“It is both curious and troubling that the President would isolate fuel prices as a metric of economic comfort while ignoring more critical indicators such as purchasing power, income levels, and cost of living,” he said.

He argued that although petrol may be cheaper in Nigeria, the overall cost of living is higher when weighed against citizens’ earnings.

“Nigeria today is more expensive to live in than Kenya… while a Kenyan earns more and pays more, a Nigerian earns far less and is forced to survive under crushing economic pressure,” Atiku stated.

The former vice president also pointed to disparities in income, noting that Kenya’s GDP per capita is significantly higher and that a minimum wage earner in Nairobi earns more than twice the Nigerian equivalent.

He further criticised Nigeria’s wage structure, saying it does not reflect economic realities across regions, and warned that affordability should be measured by the relationship between income and expenditure.

“Affordability is not defined by price alone… On this measure, Nigerians have never had it worse,” he added.

Atiku concluded that relying on selective comparisons risks portraying the government as disconnected from citizens’ lived experiences, especially amid rising poverty, inflation, and declining living standards.