Dr Reuben Abati and Rufai Oseni clashed on Arise News’ The Morning Show. The argument followed President Bola Tinubu’s Kaduna rally speech. Tinubu blamed opponents for Nigeria’s hunger and poverty. He said his administration is working to eradicate it. Abati defended the record. Oseni attacked the speech. The exchange was sharp. It drew wide attention.
Nigeria’s poverty figures have worsened since 2023. The World Bank estimates 63% of Nigerians live below the poverty line. Fuel subsidy removal and the naira float raised prices. The government launched several programmes. NG-CARES supports state-level cash transfers. SOLID targets internally displaced persons. Renewed Hope covers education, health and business support. The World Bank has committed billions to these schemes. Critics say implementation is weak. The government says the programmes are working. The debate is central to the 2027 election.
Abati said the claim that Tinubu has done nothing on poverty is false. He listed NG-CARES, SOLID, Hope Education and the Renewed Hope Baby Support. “We have $3.5 billion devoted to poverty alleviation programmes,” he said. “You can criticise the implementation, but to come and misinform Nigerians and miseducate Nigerians that nothing has been done in that direction is disingenuous.” He said journalists should not misinform the public. Ojy Okpe and Ayo Mairo-Ese pressed him for specifics. They asked who he was referring to. He refused to name anyone. “People who have been given microphones should not misinform the public,” he said.
Oseni was blunt. “I think that was the worst campaign stump I’ve ever heard in my life by President Tinubu,” he said. He criticised the speech’s structure, its lack of preparation and its flawed argument. He blamed the campaign council for failing to write a five-minute defence. “You let him out like that in the slaughter slab,” he said. He said the speech invited Atiku Abubakar to eviscerate him. He said the APC must publish a manifesto. He said anyone who argues otherwise is “an agent and an opposition to the APC themselves.”
The exchange reflected the broader debate. Abati focused on funding and programmes. Oseni focused on delivery and communication. Both raised valid points. The programmes exist. The poverty persists. The speech was weak. The election will judge.
Winners: Abati, who defended the record. Oseni, who articulated public frustration. The viewing public, which gained a substantive debate. Losers: Tinubu, whose speech was called embarrassing. The APC campaign council, which was blamed for poor preparation. The government, whose poverty record is contested. The viewing audience, if the debate produced heat without clarity.
Bottom Line: Abati listed programmes. Oseni attacked the speech. Both are right. The programmes exist. The poverty persists. The speech was weak. The 2027 election will decide whose argument prevails.