Posted by Chinenye on Wed 02nd Sep, 2026 - tori.ng
The 2027 election battle has taken a fresh turn as Atiku Abubakar unveils a major promise aimed at Nigerian students.
(Atiku Abubakar. Photo by Leadership News)
Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, has promised to review the government's education loan program and forgive student debts for those who qualify if he wins the 2027 election.
He made the pledge in response to President Tinubu defending the Nigerian Education Loan Fund on social media.
Atiku's spokesman dismissed the government's claim that the loan fund proves education has become more affordable.
He said the government created the problem in the first place by allowing school fees to skyrocket, then offered students loans to cope with the increases.
He compared it to setting school fees on fire and then bragging about lending students a bucket of water.
The spokesman called the policy witchcraft economics because the government used one hand to create financial hardship and the other to offer students debt.
According to him, Atiku has already studied the current student loan system and believes young Nigerians should not start their careers buried in education debt.
Education should open doors, not saddle people with mortgages, he said.
Atiku's plan would focus on bringing down the cost of education itself and forgiving loans for students who qualify.
The spokesman also pushed back against claims that cheaper energy under Atiku would threaten the loan fund or worker salaries.
He said the government should publish its numbers to back up these claims.
He argued that cheaper fuel and transportation would make workers' money go further and ease financial pressure on students and families.
He said it makes no sense to deliberately make life expensive, push students toward debt just to survive, and then scare them that cheaper costs will take their loans away.