Atiku: Economic Hardship Pushing Young Nigerians to sell Their Kidneys

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has highlighted economic hardship as a key factor driving young Nigerians to resort to selling their kidneys. Atiku, who is running as the presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made this claim in response to reports of young people selling their organs in desperate attempts to make ends meet.

He attributed the trend to the rising cost of living under President Bola Tinubu's administration, including increasing expenses for food, transport, rent, school fees, medicine, and electricity. Atiku expressed concern over the situation, stating that young Nigerians should be focusing on building careers, starting businesses, and pursuing their dreams rather than calculating how much parts of their bodies can fetch.

He called for economic reforms with a "human face," advocating for affordable food, cheaper transportation, accessible healthcare, and decent job opportunities to alleviate the plight of the youth. Meanwhile, Kenneth Okonkwo, a spokesman for Atiku, emphasized the need for a united opposition coalition to defeat the incumbent president in the upcoming general election.

Okonkwo argued that Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), would struggle to win without the support of other opposition parties. Okonkwo also questioned the viability of an Obi-led ticket in Kano State, where he believes the candidate lacks the necessary political influence. These comments come amidst a growing number of unverified reports of organ trafficking in various parts of Nigeria, prompting the Nigeria Police Force to arrest several suspects, including two nephrologists, allegedly involved in the operation.