Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said poverty is accelerating like hurricane in Nigeria while the elected leaders live flamboyant lifestyles inconsistent with the hardships of the ordinary citizen.
He accused Nigerian leaders of doing little or nothing to address the alarming scale of poverty in the country.
This was disclosed in a New Year message to Nigerians released by his media office in Abuja on Tuesday, Premium Times reports.
According to the former vice president, he was fully aware of the tough challenges of existence facing the ordinary Nigerians.
Atiku pointed out to political leaders that the success of democracy is determined by how much the life of the people has improved, and not how much fortunes they (leaders) have made for themselves.
Stressing that democracy offers the people the opportunity to use the power of their votes to bring about the desired change, Atiku said once democracy was made to work as it should, there would be no excuses for the current level of poverty in the country.
He said that elective offices should be perceived as an opportunity to offer selfless service rather than personal enrichment while also calling on all political leaders to embrace the spirit of tolerance.
He added that people should not become enemies because of political differences.
He therefore urged Nigerians not to lose hope because of the current challenges facing the country.
He called on Nigerians to see the New Year with renewed optimism, and be active participants in the struggle to bring about change by democratic means.
Atiku also advised them to register massively and collect their PVCs so that they could vote for parties and candidates of their choice.