Workers’ Day: Atiku, Peter Obi Criticizes Tinubu Over Workers’ Hardship

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Labour Party’s presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticized President Bola Tinubu while marking the 2026 Workers’ Day.

Both oppositions draw attention to the challenges facing Nigerian workers, while criticising the economic policies of President Tinubu’s government.

Workers’ Day, marked every May 1, is a global event that recognises the role of workers and calls for better working conditions.

In a statement shared on X, Peter Obi praised workers for their importance in keeping the country running, noting their contributions in areas like education, healthcare, farming, transport, security, and manufacturing.

However, he pointed out that many of them are finding it harder to cope due to rising inflation, expensive food, and increased transport costs, which have reduced the value of their earnings.

He said the current minimum wage is no longer enough to support a decent life, adding that it is unfair that people who contribute so much to society are not properly rewarded.

“It is deeply painful that those who wake up every day to teach, heal, build, farm, produce, transport, protect, and serve our nation are still denied the dignity and fair reward their labour deserves,” Obi stated.

Obi stressed that no nation can truly develop without taking care of its workers and called for their welfare to be treated as a top priority.

He also encouraged workers to use their collective power to demand better leadership, urging them to support leaders with integrity, competence, and compassion.

“By refusing to reward failure, corruption, ethnic division, and bad governance, they can help build a nation where hard work is respected and rewarded with dignity,” he said, concluding with his familiar message that “a New Nigeria is POssible.”

In his own statement, Atiku said he could not celebrate worker’s day but instead marked it with sadness.

He accused the current administration of making life more difficult for Nigerians despite its “Renewed Hope” agenda.

He argued that many workers are suffering under current policies, claiming that the government is more focused on raising revenue than improving living conditions.

“The Nigerian worker has been the primary victim of an administration that is more interested in increasing revenue than improving the lives of citizens,” Atiku said.

Speaking on the removal of fuel subsidy, Atiku said the policy itself was necessary but was poorly carried out, as it was introduced suddenly without measures to reduce its impact on citizens.

According to him, the move led to higher transport fares, increased food prices, and a general rise in the cost of living, putting more pressure on workers.

He also questioned how the money saved from the subsidy removal has been used, saying there is little proof that it has benefited ordinary Nigerians.

Atiku further raised concerns about government spending, including issues around transparency in major projects like the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

Although both leaders spoke from different perspectives, they both agreed that workers are vital to the country’s progress.

Obi focused on encouraging workers to take action politically, while Atiku concentrated on criticising government policies and their impact on the economy.

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