WAEC fee hike reversal: Nigeria not lab for reckless policy experiments — Atiku tells Tinubu
Former Vice President of Nigeria and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to suspend the proposed increase in WAEC and NECO registration fees, describing the reversal as a victory for millions of Nigerian parents, students, civil society organisations, and all citizens who refused to remain silent in the face of an unjust policy. The government announced the suspension after widespread criticism of the planned increase.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the decision vindicates the concerns he raised when he warned that pricing public examinations beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians would deepen educational inequality, worsen the out-of-school children crisis, and deny countless brilliant but indigent students the opportunity to pursue higher education.
Atiku said, “The suspension is welcome, but it also raises an uncomfortable question: why must this government always wait for public outrage before correcting policies that should never have been conceived in the first place?
“Governing is not a laboratory for reckless experimentation. Sound governments consult before they decide, not after Nigerians have been subjected to needless anxiety and uncertainty.
“It is becoming a disturbing pattern. This administration announces harsh policies with little evidence of meaningful consultation, only to retreat when confronted by overwhelming public opposition. That is not responsive governance; it reflects poor policy formulation.
“The purpose of leadership is to anticipate the consequences of public policy before it is implemented. A government that repeatedly relies on public resistance to discover its mistakes is admitting, whether intentionally or not, that it is disconnected from the daily realities of its citizens.
“The proposed examination fee hike would have erected yet another financial barrier before millions of Nigerian children whose families are already crushed by inflation, rising transportation costs, soaring electricity tariffs, and declining purchasing power.
“Education should be the ladder out of poverty, not another luxury reserved for the privileged.
“I commend parents, teachers, labour organisations, student groups, education stakeholders, and every patriotic Nigerian whose collective voice compelled this reconsideration. Democracy works best when citizens hold government accountable.
“However, suspending this policy should not be the end of the conversation. The Federal Government must now engage stakeholders to develop a sustainable funding model for WAEC and NECO that strengthens these examination bodies without transferring the burden to struggling families.
“More importantly, this administration must abandon its growing habit of announcing anti-people policies first and listening later. Consultation is not a sign of weakness; it is the foundation of responsible governance.”
Atiku urged the Tinubu administration to treat the suspension as an opportunity for introspection and to embrace evidence-based policymaking anchored in dialogue, empathy, and the welfare of ordinary Nigerians.
“A government that listens only after Nigerians cry out is a government that has stopped listening to the people it was elected to serve.
“Thankfully, Nigerians now have a clear choice as the 2027 election approaches. They can choose an administration whose policies are too often driven by trial and error, or they can choose experienced leadership with a proven record in national governance. The lesson from this latest policy reversal is simple: a nation as important as Nigeria cannot be governed like a laboratory for endless experimentation. Nigerians deserve leadership that listens before it acts, consults before it decides, and gets it right the first time,” he said.
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