By Divine Sam

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over the unresolved questions surrounding the October 20, 2020, Lekki Toll Gate shooting.

Atiku said Nigerians were still waiting for answers about who authorised the shooting of #EndSARS protesters in Lagos, six years after the incident.

The former vice president made his position known in a statement on Tuesday to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the protests, calling for accountability and justice for those affected.

He also faulted Tinubu’s response following the incident, arguing that the President’s comments appeared to question the victims rather than focus on establishing responsibility for the violence.

In the statement, Atiku said: “Six years after the Lekki shooting, Nigeria is still waiting for a clear answer to one devastating question: Who gave the order? Let us also not forget that in October 2020, Bola Tinubu, rather than demonstrating the empathy and compassion the tragedy demanded, suggested that those who suffered casualties during the shooting had questions to answer.

“He (Tinubu) asked: “How were they there? How long were they there? What kind of characters are they?” At a moment when Nigerians were demanding accountability for the violence against peaceful protesters, his response appeared more concerned with questioning the victims than demanding answers from those responsible.

“The anger trending across the country today is not a social media performance. It is grief that has been left to harden into distrust. It is the pain of families still demanding answers, and of young people who watched their calls for dignity meet violence and then watched the country move on without the truth they deserve.

“The APC has governed Nigeria through these six years. It cannot keep asking Nigerians to remember the dead while refusing to confront the unanswered questions. A government that cannot give citizens confidence that their lives matter has failed one of its most basic duties.

“And the hardship young people face today deepens that betrayal. Petrol at ₦1,405 a litre means more than an expensive journey. It means less money for food, school, rent and work. It means a young person can do everything asked of them and still find the door to a decent life shut in their face.

“The APC promised renewal. For too many Nigerians, the experience has been rising costs, shrinking opportunity and a future pushed further out of reach. No speech about growth can excuse empty pockets. No anniversary tribute can replace justice. No campaign slogan can erase six years of unanswered questions.

“Just this morning, one of my aides told me about a young woman who was forced to resign from her job this month because her salary could no longer cover the cost of getting to work. Her words were as heartbreaking as they were revealing: “The pay no longer covers transport. Everything in Nigeria just dey increase in price. Feels like I’m working for Bolt guys.”

“Imagine that: a Nigerian who has secured employment, yet can no longer afford to remain employed. This is the cruel reality of an economy in which even those fortunate enough to have jobs are being priced out of earning a living. The policies of this government are stifling not only the unemployed but also hardworking Nigerians whose salaries have become increasingly worthless in the face of rising costs.

“This is precisely the hardship my Economic Recovery Plan is designed to address, with one overriding objective: to Make Nigeria Affordable Again. My policy response is built around relief people can feel: support tied to fuel refined in Nigeria, with the savings passed on to consumers; more local production to create jobs; protection for minimum wage earners and student support; and funding these measures by cutting waste instead of imposing new taxes.

“Young Nigerians deserve the truth about Lekki. They deserve a government that protects life, and an economy that gives work a chance to lead somewhere. Six years on, the APC has had ample time to answer for its record. Nigerians are entitled to ask why the answers and the opportunities are still missing.”

Beyond the call for accountability over the Lekki incident, Atiku linked the anniversary to the economic difficulties confronting young Nigerians, citing rising living costs, expensive transportation and declining purchasing power.

He illustrated his concerns with the account of a young woman who, according to him, had resigned from her job because her salary could no longer cover the cost of commuting to work.

The ADC presidential candidate used the account to argue that the current economic situation was making it increasingly difficult for employed Nigerians to sustain their livelihoods.

Atiku also outlined his proposed Economic Recovery Plan, which he said would focus on making life more affordable through measures aimed at reducing fuel costs, encouraging local production, creating employment opportunities, supporting minimum-wage earners and students, and cutting government waste.

The Lekki Toll Gate shooting remains one of the most controversial episodes associated with the #EndSARS protests, which began in October 2020 as young Nigerians demanded an end to police brutality and abuses linked to the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Six years after the incident, questions about accountability, the protection of citizens’ rights and the response of government authorities continue to feature in public discussions.

Atiku’s statement renews pressure on the Federal Government to address outstanding concerns surrounding the incident, while also placing the welfare of young Nigerians and the state of the economy at the centre of the national conversation ahead of the 2027 general elections.