Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has demanded answers over the shooting of #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos, saying the Federal Government has yet to address critical questions about the incident six years after it occurred.
Atiku, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, raised the issue on Tuesday in a post on his X handle, where he also condemned the worsening economic conditions confronting Nigerians under the All Progressives Congress-led government.
“Six years after the Lekki shooting, Nigeria is still waiting for a clear answer to one devastating question: Who gave the order?” he said.
The October 20, 2020 incident occurred during nationwide #EndSARS demonstrations against police brutality and misconduct. Atiku said the absence of satisfactory answers had prolonged the grief and mistrust surrounding the incident, especially among young Nigerians who participated in the protests.
He also criticised President Bola Tinubu's response to the shooting in October 2020, arguing that the reaction appeared to question the protesters and their conduct rather than focus on accountability for the violence.
According to the former vice-president, the APC, having governed the country for six years since the incident, should address the outstanding questions instead of allowing the matter to remain unresolved.
“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,” he said.
Atiku maintained that the protection of human life and accountability for abuses were among the most important obligations of any government.
Beyond the Lekki incident, he accused the Federal Government of presiding over economic conditions that have made life increasingly difficult for workers, students and other vulnerable groups.
He identified the high cost of petrol, declining purchasing power and limited economic opportunities as major concerns, saying petrol at ₦1,405 per litre had further increased the cost of transportation and other essential needs.
“The APC promised renewal. For too many Nigerians, the experience has been rising costs, shrinking opportunity and a future pushed further out of reach,” Atiku said.
He cited the experience of a young woman who reportedly left her job because her salary was no longer sufficient to cover her daily transportation expenses.
“The pay no longer covers transport. Everything in Nigeria just dey increase in price. Feels like I'm working for Bolt guys,” he quoted the woman as saying.
Atiku said the account reflected the growing financial strain on employed Nigerians, some of whom, he argued, were finding it increasingly difficult to sustain their jobs because of the cost of commuting.
He said his Economic Recovery Plan would address some of these challenges through measures aimed at supporting consumers, boosting domestic production, protecting minimum-wage earners, providing assistance to students and reducing government waste.
The ADC candidate argued that economic recovery should translate into tangible improvements in citizens' daily lives rather than remain a policy promise.
He said young Nigerians deserved both a credible account of what happened at the Lekki tollgate and an economy that offered better prospects for employment and social mobility.
“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,” he said.
Atiku added that citizens were entitled to demand explanations over the shooting and question the government's handling of economic challenges that continue to limit opportunities for young people.
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