The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has criticised President Bola Tinubu for blaming opposition parties for hunger and poverty, urging him to focus on worsening insecurity and the economic hardship facing millions of Nigerians.
The association said the President’s re-election campaign flag-off in Kaduna on Saturday provided an opportunity to address the security crisis in the North and the rising cost of living. However, it accused him of shifting responsibility to political opponents instead of presenting concrete solutions.

In a statement signed on Sunday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA challenged Tinubu to explain his administration’s plans to defeat terrorists, dismantle kidnapping networks and rescue Nigerians held captive across the country.

The group expressed concern over continuing attacks and abductions in Borno, Kwara, Niger and other affected states. It said the government must provide clear timelines for rescue operations and strengthen intelligence gathering to prevent further attacks.

“Nigerians cannot afford another campaign season filled with promises while families continue to wait desperately for the return of abducted relatives and communities remain vulnerable to armed attacks,” HURIWA said.

The association maintained that the government should measure its performance by the lives it protects, the captives it rescues and the communities it makes safe.

It also faulted Tinubu’s response to complaints about hunger and poverty, arguing that his administration must accept responsibility for the consequences of its economic policies since taking office in May 2023.

At the Kaduna rally, the President reportedly said: “They created the hunger. They created the poverty. We are trying to eradicate it.”

HURIWA said the remarks amounted to an attempt to shift responsibility for the hardship Nigerians face, particularly following the removal of petrol subsidies and the introduction of exchange-rate reforms.

The association noted that households continue to grapple with high food prices, rising transport fares, expensive electricity and unaffordable medicines. Small businesses, it added, face increasing operating costs that threaten their survival.

It questioned how the Federal Government had spent the savings from petrol subsidy removal and called for a transparent account of the funds, the projects they had financed and the benefits delivered to citizens.

HURIWA argued that economic reforms should produce measurable improvements in household incomes, purchasing power and living standards. It said the government must explain when Nigerians could expect meaningful relief from the rising cost of essential goods and services.

The group also challenged the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to accept responsibility for the country’s economic and security challenges, noting that the party had governed Nigeria since 2015.

It said the administrations of former President Muhammadu Buhari and Tinubu should account for their respective policy decisions instead of blaming opposition parties for the country’s difficulties.

HURIWA urged the President to explain what his government had achieved in reducing poverty, protecting vulnerable households, improving access to healthcare and expanding economic opportunities.

The association also called for stronger security operations against terrorists and kidnappers, better coordination among intelligence agencies and accountability for failures that expose citizens to attacks.

It urged the Federal Government to publish details of subsidy savings and strengthen targeted assistance for households bearing the heaviest burden of economic reforms.

According to HURIWA, Nigerians need affordable food, accessible healthcare, reliable electricity and reasonably priced transportation, alongside a secure environment in which farmers, traders, workers and businesses can operate without fear.

The group warned that the administration’s record on security, economic welfare and public accountability would come under scrutiny as the 2027 presidential election approaches.

It insisted that the re-election campaign should not distract the President from his constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property and address the hardship confronting citizens.

HURIWA urged Tinubu to provide credible solutions to hunger and insecurity rather than engage in political blame-trading.