Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has taken aim at President Bola Tinubu, criticizing his handling of the fuel subsidy crisis and dubbing him “TPain” in a tweet on Thursday. Atiku attributed Nigeria’s current economic woes to what he calls the “haphazard and disingenuous approach” of the Tinubu administration regarding fuel subsidy management.

Expressing his concerns about the rising inflation rate, Atiku emphasized that it is severely affecting the daily lives of Nigerians. He lamented that, despite the increasing hardships faced by citizens, Tinubu seems indifferent to their suffering.

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“The haphazard and disingenuous approach of the current administration to fuel subsidy management has been the reason we are in this current economic crisis in the country,” Atiku stated. “As things stand, there will be no let-up in the escalating inflation rate, which is drowning the material well-being of Nigerians.”

Adding to his criticism, Atiku remarked that it is particularly troubling that “TPain” appears unbothered by the hardships that many Nigerians endure. The nickname ‘TPain’ cleverly combines the initial of Tinubu’s name with that of American rapper T-Pain, reflecting the frustrations of citizens grappling with the rising cost of living under his administration.

The term ‘TPain’ first surfaced on social media in April 2024, but it gained significant momentum around September 16, when a user on X referred to the president during discussions about his visit to Maiduguri to console flood victims. Since then, it has become widely used on platforms like X and Instagram.