Opposition leaders Obi and Atiku challenge Tinubu's financial plans, voice support for beleaguered laborers

Nigeria's political landscape was marked by sharp divisions on Friday, as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi utilized the 2026 Workers' Day commemoration to reflect on the plight of Nigerian workers, with both leaders criticizing the economic situation under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration.

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On his X platform, Obi praised workers as the backbone of every nation, acknowledging their sacrifices across various sectors, including education, healthcare, agriculture, transportation, security, and production, while lamenting the severe hardship they face despite their essential contributions to national development.

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Obi noted that the minimum wage can no longer guarantee a decent standard of living due to inflation, rising food prices, and transportation costs, stating that it is deeply painful to see workers denied the dignity and fair reward their labour deserves.

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He emphasized that no nation can develop beyond the strength of its workforce, adding that worker welfare remains central to national productivity and prosperity, and urged workers to recognize their political influence and use their collective voice and votes to demand leadership anchored on competence, character, capacity, credibility, and compassion.

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Obi called on workers to refuse to reward failure, corruption, ethnic division, and bad governance, and instead help build a nation where hard work is respected and rewarded with dignity, stating that "a New Nigeria is Possible."

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In a separate message on X, Atiku expressed that he observed Workers' Day with grief, accusing the Tinubu administration of deepening hardship under the slogan of "Renewed Hope," which he described as a betrayal of public trust, arguing that what has been renewed is hardship rather than hope.

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Atiku criticized the administration for being more interested in increasing revenue than improving the lives of citizens, stating that the Nigerian worker has been the primary victim of this approach, and revisited the removal of fuel subsidy, which he acknowledged as necessary but criticized for being "irresponsibly and callously executed" without adequate preparation or social safety nets.

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The abrupt policy, according to Atiku, led to soaring transport costs, rising food prices, and widespread economic distress for workers already struggling with inflation, and he questioned the allocation of funds toward major infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, raising concerns about procurement transparency and governance priorities.

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Atiku also alleged that while trillions were saved from the subsidy removal, Nigerians have not benefited from the funds, which have been distributed across tiers of government without tangible impact on citizens, further highlighting the need for improved economic management and policy implementation.

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Both Obi and Atiku converged on the importance of workers in national development, with Obi focusing on empowerment and political participation, and Atiku criticizing economic management and policy implementation under the current administration, on a day marked globally as Workers' Day, traditionally set aside to honour labour contributions and advocate for improved working conditions.

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Workers' Day, marked on May 1, serves as a reminder of the need to recognize and address the challenges faced by workers, with both leaders emphasizing the need for improved working conditions and a more equitable distribution of resources.