As university lecturers are threatening to embark on strike over unpaid entitlements, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of bandying promises of using savings from the withdrawal of fuel subsidy to fund tertiary education and end strikes by university lecturers.

“More than three years later, lecturers are still raising concerns about unpaid salaries and unresolved agreements. ASUU is again warning of industrial action. University infrastructure remains inadequate, while millions of young Nigerians compete every year for limited admission spaces,” Atiku stated in a statement issued by Mr. Phrank Shaibu, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to the presidential flagbearer of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Noting that students once again face the threat of disruption to their academic calendar, he said the fresh strike threat by university lecturers “exposes the fraud behind promises that subsidy savings would fund education and end incessant university crises”

According to Atiku, Nigerians have already paid the price through higher fuel costs, transport fares, food prices, energy bills and school fees, yet public universities remain underfunded, lecturers are complaining about unpaid entitlements and unresolved agreements, and students once again face the threat of disruption to the academic calendar.

“If the subsidy is gone and Nigerians have paid for that decision through unprecedented hardship, then President Tinubu owes the country a simple answer: where is the money?”

“The house of cards of falsehoods erected by the Tinubu administration to justify the suffering of Nigerians is collapsing before our eyes.

“A government that strips citizens of relief, denies them meaningful social protection and fails to deliver the basic improvements it promised has forfeited the moral credibility to continue preaching sacrifice.

“The Tinubu administration has imposed an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis on Nigerians. Families are struggling with soaring food prices, punishing transport costs, expensive energy and shrinking incomes. Yet instead of cushioning the consequences of its own economic decisions, the government has largely abandoned Nigerians to carry the burden alone,” the statement noted.

Following an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), held at the University of Abuja, the lecturers officially threatened to resume its suspended nationwide strike action across Nigeria’s public universities. ASUU President Prof. Christopher Piwuna announced on September 11, 2026, that the union may activate the industrial action “without any further notice” if the federal and state governments fail to resolve pressing welfare and institutional issues.

They listed unpaid salary arrears, “haphazard 2025 agreement implementation,” unremitted third-party deductions and disrespect for university autonomy as the areas of dispute.

To the ADC presidential candidate, the non-resolution of the issues is a contradiction given that the Tinubu administration had promised to adequately fund universities from subsidy savings.

“That is what makes the present university crisis indefensible. Government removed the cushion, collected the supposed savings and imposed the hardship, but Nigerians cannot see the corresponding improvement in their schools, hospitals or everyday lives.

“More than three years later, lecturers are still raising concerns about unpaid salaries and unresolved agreements. ASUU is again warning of industrial action. University infrastructure remains inadequate, while millions of young Nigerians compete every year for limited admission spaces.

Atiku said Nigerians have made sacrifices beyond their capacity. “The sacrifice has been collected from Nigerians in full. The promised benefits have not been delivered in full. He said
President Tinubu must answer the question that “will not go away: where is the subsidy money?”