Atiku Slams Tinubu on Teachers’ Welfare, Says Leaders Must Understand Their Struggles

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over the worsening living conditions of teachers across Nigeria.

Atiku, in a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, to mark the 2026 World Teachers’ Day, said teachers were struggling with rising food, transportation, rent and electricity costs.

The former vice president said he personally remembered and appreciated his early teachers in Jada, who he credited with helping shape his future.

He said, “No nation can rise above the level of its teachers,” stressing that teachers deserved policies that would improve their welfare and make life more affordable.

Atiku also took a swipe at President Tinubu, alleging that the president’s inability to name a teacher or classmate from his school days showed how disconnected he was from the realities facing teachers.

“It is both revealing and deeply embarrassing that Bola Tinubu cannot name a single teacher who stood before him or a classmate who sat beside him,” Atiku said.

He argued that a leader who could not remember those who contributed to his education would struggle to understand the sacrifices teachers make to educate Nigerian children.

Atiku said government could not continue to celebrate teachers on World Teachers’ Day while leaving them to face economic hardship throughout the year.

“Government cannot praise teachers on this day and leave them to face hardship for the rest of the year. A commemorative message cannot pay a teacher’s bills,” he said.

The ADC presidential candidate apologised to Nigerian teachers and citizens on behalf of what he described as a leadership that had failed to make teachers’ welfare a priority.

He pledged that, if elected, his administration would pursue policies aimed at reducing the cost of living, supporting decent employment and ensuring that teachers and other working families could enjoy a dignified standard of living.

Atiku, who is also the founder of the American University of Nigeria, described teachers as builders of knowledge, confidence and opportunity, saying Nigeria could not secure its future while neglecting those responsible for educating its children.

He thanked teachers across the country for their service and called for meaningful government support beyond annual tributes and commemorative messages.