Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has urged President Bola Tinubu to cease blaming former President Muhammadu Buhari for the ongoing issues plaguing Nigeria's refineries. Instead, Atiku insists that Tinubu should provide a detailed account of the ₦4 trillion spent on these facilities during his administration.

In a statement released by Atiku's Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, it was revealed that the financial obligations of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries have surged significantly. By the end of 2024, these obligations rose from approximately ₦4.52 trillion to ₦8.67 trillion, marking an increase of about ₦4.15 trillion within just one year of Tinubu's presidency.

Atiku highlighted the contradiction in the Tinubu administration's narrative, pointing out that while the government announced in November 2024 that the Port Harcourt refinery had resumed operations at 70 percent capacity, it is now distancing itself from the facilities following admissions from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) that they are operating at a "monumental loss."

He criticized the president's tendency to attribute failures to previous administrations, labeling it as a form of political escapism. Atiku questioned the tangible benefits Nigerians have received in return for the massive expenditures, asking, "If the combined obligations of these refineries jumped by more than ₦4 trillion in 2024 alone, what exactly did Nigerians receive in return? Where did the money go? Where are the products? Where are the savings Nigerians were promised?"

The former vice president emphasized the broader implications of this financial mismanagement, stating that ₦4 trillion could have significantly improved various sectors in Nigeria, including education, healthcare, infrastructure, and access to basic utilities. He described the situation as an "unforgivable failure of stewardship" rather than mere incompetence.

Atiku further asserted that a government should not selectively take credit for successes while attributing all failures to its predecessors. He stressed that after more than three years in power, Nigerians deserve to scrutinize the liabilities that the current administration has incurred.

In a stark warning against a potential second term for Tinubu, Atiku remarked, "President Tinubu's scorecard after more than three years is increasingly a story of fire and smoke — enormous expenditure, extravagant announcements, and very little Nigerians can hold in their hands. Nigeria cannot afford another four years of paying for failure."