The Democratic Front (TDF) has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for questioning President Bola Tinubu’s request for fresh loans from the World Bank.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Danjuma Muhammad, and Secretary, Wale Adedayo, the group accused Atiku of displaying “a lack of knowledge” about the World Bank’s lending procedures.
TDF argued that the World Bank would not approve new borrowing without evidence that previous loans had been properly used, alongside satisfactory repayment and debt-servicing records.
The group also cited Nigeria’s repayment of a $3.4 billion COVID-19 loan in May 2025 as evidence of the country’s capacity to meet its obligations under Tinubu’s economic reforms.
According to TDF, the President obtained the National Assembly’s approval before seeking the new loans, demonstrating compliance with constitutional and accountability requirements.
The group further defended Nigeria’s N166.79 trillion public debt, saying the figure remained sustainable when compared with the debt profiles of South Africa and Egypt.
TDF said Nigeria’s 55 percent debt-service-to-revenue ratio, 4.43 percent year-on-year GDP growth and $55.25 billion in foreign reserves showed that the country still had fiscal room for development.
It accused Atiku of using the loan debate to mislead Nigerians ahead of the forthcoming elections and urged voters to reject him at the polls.
