ADC Fires Blistering Criticism at Tinubu’s Economic Policies Amidst Poverty Crisis

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has vociferously condemned the economic policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration, asserting that they are directly responsible for the escalating poverty and hunger across Nigeria. The opposition party has unequivocally advised President Tinubu to immediately reverse his administration's economic direction or resign from office, contending that the welfare of Nigerians has significantly deteriorated despite official pronouncements of economic recovery.

In a statement released by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC cited recent reports from the World Bank and the World Food Programme (WFP) as irrefutable evidence of the administration's policy failures. The World Bank's report, indicating that approximately 139 million Nigerians—or about 60 percent of the population—now live below the national poverty line, deeply disturbs the ADC. This alarming figure is complemented by the WFP's estimate that 17 million Nigerians are grappling with acute hunger, marking one of the worst food security crises the country has experienced in nearly a decade. The ADC maintains that these statistics starkly illustrate the devastating impact of the government's economic approach, which they believe prioritizes "money over people and statistics over survival."

The party further criticized the Federal Government for celebrating improvements in various economic indicators, such as increased revenue, overall economic growth, and rising foreign reserves. The ADC argues that such gains remain "meaningless" if they do not translate into tangible improvements in the living conditions and livelihoods of ordinary Nigerians. Instead of adapting its strategy, the ADC lamented that the government has "stubbornly stuck with its ruinous economic policies" and continues to "market recklessness as courage and wickedness as ‘necessary pains’." The party stressed that the evidence of 139 million people in poverty and 17 million at risk of starvation constitutes "President Tinubu’s scorecard" after three years in office, a performance so catastrophic that it should prompt him to consider resignation rather than seeking re-election.

The ADC also firmly rejected the government's reliance on temporary palliative programmes, asserting that such interventions cannot provide lasting solutions to the deep-seated issues of poverty and food insecurity. The party contends that genuine and sustainable progress can only be achieved through comprehensive structural reforms aimed at stimulating production, bolstering agricultural output, and creating stable livelihoods for citizens. An ADC government, they stated, would move beyond temporary fixes to address the root causes of hardship.

Outlining its alternative economic agenda, the ADC proposed a multi-faceted approach. First, it committed to reducing energy costs and enhancing security in farming communities and agricultural corridors, enabling farmers to cultivate their land without fear and transport their produce safely and affordably. Second, the party pledged to significantly increase domestic food production by prioritizing the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s 264 abandoned dams to expand year-round irrigation. This would be coupled with improved access to quality seeds, fertilizers, and agricultural extension services, alongside investments in storage, preservation, and agro-processing facilities to minimize post-harvest losses. Third, the ADC aims to build an integrated national food economy through regional agricultural production belts, fostering coordinated production, processing, storage, transportation, and market access based on comparative advantages to lower food prices and create productive rural jobs. Fourth, the party committed to investing deeply in human capital, prioritizing nutrition, primary healthcare, quality basic education, and skills development, recognizing that hunger, poverty, education, and healthcare are inextricably linked.

The ADC emphasized that the true measure of any economic policy lies in its ability to improve the lives of the people, reduce poverty, create jobs, and enhance overall welfare, rather than merely showcasing government statistics. Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi reiterated the party's core belief: "Hunger is the most honest measure of economic performance because it cannot be manipulated. Until fewer Nigerians go to bed hungry, until poverty begins to fall instead of rise, and until every Nigerian family can once again afford three decent meals a day, every claim of economic success will remain unrecognisable to the people whose lives those policies are supposed to improve." The party concluded that Nigeria urgently requires a government that genuinely understands and cares for its people, focusing on their well-being rather than celebrating abstract economic figures.