Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has paid a courtesy visit to the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard M. Mills Jr., at the American Embassy in Abuja.
Atiku, who disclosed the meeting via his social media handle, said discussions centred on strengthening Nigeria–US relations in the areas of democracy, security, and shared prosperity.
“This afternoon, I had the honor of leading a delegation on a courtesy visit to the United States Ambassador, Richard M. Mills Jr., in Abuja. Our discussion focused on strengthening the enduring partnership between Nigeria and the United States, particularly in the areas of advancing democracy, security, and promoting shared prosperity,” he wrote.
The visit came on the heels of Atiku’s renewed criticism of the Bola Tinubu administration over what he described as worsening hunger, poverty, and insecurity across the country.
In a statement issued through his media office, Atiku argued that the living conditions of Nigerians have continued to deteriorate despite government claims of reform. He warned that unchecked deprivation could fuel unrest, drawing parallels with global upheavals such as the French and Russian revolutions, the Arab Spring, and Nigeria’s own EndSARS protests.
“The masses of Nigerians are progressively wallowing in misery and poverty under the watch of the Tinubu-led APC administration,” Atiku said. He maintained that two years into the administration, there were still “no manifest signs” of government capacity to tackle hunger and poverty.
Atiku insisted that reforms must prioritize the welfare of citizens. “Whatever reform the Tinubu government might claim to be undertaking, the point remains that food insecurity is a daily occurrence nationwide,” he said.
President Tinubu, since assuming office in 2023, has implemented various economic measures, including fuel subsidy removal and the unification of the exchange rate.
