Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai have issued a scathing critique of Nigeria’s leadership, accusing the government of weaponizing poverty and allowing "urban bandits" to hijack power, plunging the nation into its worst crisis since 1914.

The two prominent political figures spoke on Saturday in Abuja at the 60th birthday lecture of former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, themed “Weaponising Poverty in Nigeria.”

Atiku, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alleged that the current administration is deliberately impoverishing citizens to suppress dissent.

“What we are experiencing in Nigeria today is state weaponization of poverty,” he declared. “When I was young, Kano was the most prosperous state in the North. But now, poverty and insecurity have driven people to sleep under bridges and on the streets. Shockingly, when an agency tried to help them, they were ordered to stop. This is not governance—it is oppression.”

He defended his involvement in a growing political coalition, stating, “Call me a conspirator if you like, but we must unite to stop this suffering.”

Echoing Atiku’s concerns, El-Rufai took aim at Nigeria’s ruling class, describing them as “urban bandits” who lack competence but excel in power-grabbing.

“Nigeria is in its biggest trouble since 1914,” he warned. “We have allowed bandits—not those in the forests, but the ones in suits—to take over leadership. They don’t know what to do with power except to enrich themselves while the masses suffer.”

Amaechi, the event’s celebrant, linked rising insecurity to deepening poverty, stating, “Hunger knows no tribe or religion. This government has made Nigerians poorer, fueling crime and instability. But the power to change leaders remains with the people—not politicians.”

Both Atiku and El-Rufai urged Nigerians to vote wisely in future elections, demanding leaders with “competence, capability, and commitment” to rescue the nation from collapse.

Their remarks come amid widespread hardship triggered by President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, including subsidy removal and naira devaluation, which have spiked inflation and worsened living conditions.

As discontent grows, the call for a united opposition signals a brewing political storm—with poverty-stricken Nigerians caught in the crossfire.