Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over what he described as the administration’s failure to adequately address the challenges confronting Nigerian teachers.
Atiku also questioned the President’s ability to relate to the experiences of teachers, arguing that Tinubu’s reported inability to name any of his former teachers or classmates showed how disconnected he was from the realities of the education sector.
The former Vice President spoke in a statement issued on Monday by his media aide and Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, to commemorate the 2026 Teachers’ Day.
Atiku paid tribute to teachers across the country, describing them as critical contributors to national development. However, he expressed concern over the worsening cost of living, which he said had made it increasingly difficult for teachers to provide for their families while carrying out their professional responsibilities.
Reflecting on his own childhood, Atiku said he still remembered the teachers who taught him during his early years in Jada, including those who had died.
“Of course, I appreciate Nigerian teachers. I am a product of their work and the education I received in their classrooms,” he said.
The former Vice President said his early teachers did more than teach academic subjects, adding that they recognised his potential 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.
Atiku said the hardship faced by teachers was evident in the daily sacrifices many of them were forced to make because of rising transportation, food, housing and other living costs.
He cited instances of teachers allegedly walking long distances to work because transport fares consumed a significant portion of their salaries, while others struggled to feed their families.
“When I hear of a teacher forced to walk miles because transport fares consume so much of their salary, or borrowing food on credit to feed their family before going to teach our children, my heart breaks,” Atiku said.
He maintained that the development of any country was closely linked to the quality and welfare of its teachers.
“No nation can rise above the level of its teachers. I will honour them not only with words, but with policies that improve their welfare and make life more affordable,” he said.
Atiku subsequently directed his criticism at President Tinubu, arguing that a leader who could not recall the teachers and classmates who formed part of his educational journey would find it difficult to understand the challenges confronting 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,” he said.
According to Atiku, teachers are responsible for laying the foundation upon which future generations are built, making their welfare an important component of national development.
“Teachers are the architects of every nation’s future. A leader who cannot remember those who laid the foundation of his own education has shown just how far removed he is from the classroom and from the daily struggles of those who keep it alive,” he said.
He further questioned whether a government could adequately address teachers’ challenges if its leadership was disconnected from their experiences.
“If he cannot honour the people who helped shape him, how can he understand the sacrifices teachers make today?” Atiku asked.
The ADC presidential candidate also criticised what he described as the practice of celebrating teachers on commemorative occasions without implementing policies capable of improving their living and working conditions throughout the year.
He said teachers, like other Nigerian workers, were facing increasing costs of food, transportation, rent and electricity, while their incomes continued to come under pressure from inflation.
“The 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.
“Respect must be reflected in fair conditions, reliable support and policies that make life affordable.”
Atiku went further to apologise to Nigerian teachers and citizens over what he described as the failure of the current leadership to make their welfare a priority.
“I apologise to Nigeria’s teachers and to all Nigerians on behalf of a leadership that has failed to make their welfare a priority. Teachers deserve more than praise, and Nigerians deserve a government that puts their lives and livelihoods first,” he said.
The former Vice President, who founded the American University of Nigeria, said his experience in the education sector had given him a deeper appreciation of the demands placed on teachers and the importance of providing them with adequate support.
He described teachers as builders of knowledge, confidence and opportunity, warning that Nigeria could not secure a prosperous future while neglecting the people responsible for educating its younger generation.
Atiku also used the occasion to outline his proposed approach to addressing the country’s economic difficulties, promising policies aimed at reducing the cost of living, creating decent employment opportunities and improving household incomes.
“My promise is clear: I will work to make life affordable again. Teachers and families should not have to watch their incomes disappear on food, transport, rent and electricity,” he said.
“We will pursue policies that bring down the cost of living, support decent jobs and ensure that hard work can provide a dignified life.”
He urged the Federal Government to move beyond ceremonial tributes and implement concrete measures to improve teachers’ remuneration, working conditions and overall welfare.
Atiku said teachers deserved policies that would enable them to live with dignity and focus effectively on educating Nigeria’s children.
He also called for broader reforms in the education sector, stressing that improving teachers’ welfare would ultimately contribute to better educational outcomes and strengthen Nigeria’s human capital development.
The statement formed part of Atiku’s message marking World Teachers’ Day 2026, as stakeholders across Nigeria renewed calls for greater investment in education and improved conditions for the country’s teaching workforce.
