Former Vice President and ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu over the challenges facing Nigerian teachers.
Atiku, in a statement issued on Monday by his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, to mark the 2026 World Teachers’ Day, said teachers deserve better pay and working conditions amid the rising cost of food, transport, rent and electricity.
Recalling his childhood in Jada, Atiku said he still remembers the teachers who supported him as a young orphan and helped shape his future.
“I still remember the names and faces of my early teachers in Jada, who saw potential in a young orphan when few others did. They taught me arithmetic and grammar, but they also gave me a future,” he said.
He also took a swipe at Tinubu, questioning whether the President could fully understand teachers’ struggles if he could not name a former teacher or classmate.
“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 stressed that government must go beyond celebrating teachers and take practical steps to improve their welfare.
“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 added.
Atiku also promised that, if elected, his administration would pursue policies aimed at reducing the cost of living and improving the welfare of teachers and other Nigerians.