The Director-General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Abdulaziz Yari, has stirred debate over Nigeria’s hunger crisis after suggesting that hardworking citizens should have no difficulty putting food on their tables.
Yari made the statement on Friday while addressing supporters at an APC rally organised in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, in support of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.
Although he admitted that hunger exists across the country, the former Zamfara State governor argued that the problem should not be defined by the availability of food in markets but by people’s ability to purchase it.
He challenged residents to explain whether they had gone to markets with money and discovered that basic food items, including rice, were unavailable.
According to him, food remains accessible in Nigerian markets, and people who are willing to work should be able to earn enough to feed their families.
Yari maintained that the presence of food in markets should not amount to a hunger crisis if individuals have the financial means to buy what they need.
His comments come at a time when millions of Nigerians are struggling with rising food prices, declining purchasing power and the increasing cost of basic necessities.
The controversy also follows President Tinubu’s recent remarks at an APC rally in Kaduna on October 24, where he blamed previous administrations and opposition politicians for the hunger and poverty confronting the country.
Tinubu defended his government’s economic policies, insisting that his administration was working to improve living conditions and promising greater prosperity if given another term in 2027.
However, the President’s position attracted criticism from opposition leaders, particularly former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who argued that the current administration should accept responsibility for the economic hardship rather than shift the blame to its political opponents.
Atiku specifically questioned the government’s handling of petrol subsidy removal and the naira’s depreciation, insisting that Nigerians had every right to demand explanations for the worsening cost of living.
Similarly, the National Democratic Congress, through its National Chairman, Moses Cleopas, faulted the President’s attempt to blame political opponents, arguing that the ruling APC should take responsibility for the country’s economic challenges.
The exchange has further intensified the political debate over hunger, poverty and the performance of the Tinubu administration as political parties prepare for the 2027 general elections.
