The African Democratic Congress has called on the All Progressives Congress to focus on addressing Nigeria’s deepening poverty crisis instead of attacking the opposition for raising concerns about the economic situation.
In a statement issued on Sunday, March 15, and signed by National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC accused the ruling party of dismissing the lived realities of millions of Nigerians rather than engaging with evidence of worsening economic conditions.
“Instead of addressing the clear evidence that more Nigerians are falling into poverty under this government, the ruling party has chosen to attack the opposition and dismiss the lived realities of millions of citizens. Facts, however, cannot be dismissed by press statements,” the statement read.
The ADC said independent data shows Nigeria’s poverty rate has climbed to 63 percent, up from about 50 percent before the removal of petrol subsidy, meaning tens of millions of additional Nigerians have been pushed into poverty since the administration’s economic policies were introduced.
The party cited surveys showing 93 percent of Nigerians believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, 88 percent describe the national economy as bad, and 74 percent say their personal living conditions are poor.
“These are not opposition talking points. They are the views of Nigerians themselves, APC members included,” the ADC said.
Challenging the APC’s claim that the current hardship is temporary, the opposition party pointed to survey data showing 82 percent of Nigerians went without enough food at least once in the past year, 82 percent went without medical care, 79 percent without cooking fuel, 74 percent without clean water, and 95 percent without a cash income at some point during the year.
“These figures point not to temporary discomfort, but to widespread and deepening economic distress,” the statement said.
The ADC also highlighted that fuel prices have surged nearly 500 percent, from about ₦255 per litre in May 2023 to around ₦1,500 per litre in many parts of the country today.
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On agriculture, the party said nearly 90 out of over 150 rice mills have shut down, while Nigeria’s food import bill jumped from ₦3.83 trillion in 2023 to ₦7.65 trillion today, an increase of about 100 percent.
“Official data from the National Bureau of Statistics show that Nigeria’s food import bill has jumped from ₦3.83 trillion in 2023, when President Tinubu came into office, to ₦7.65 trillion today, an increase of ₦3.82 trillion, or about 100 percent.
“This shows that instead of strengthening our local agricultural sector and protecting Nigerian farmers, the policies of the APC government are undermining domestic production and putting thousands of Nigerian farmers and processors out of business.”
The ADC said economic reforms must be judged by their outcomes.
“When poverty rises from 50 percent to 63 percent, when nine out of ten Nigerians say the country is on the wrong path, and when millions struggle to afford basic necessities, it is clear that something is fundamentally wrong.”
The party concluded by saying Nigerians do not need political attacks on the opposition—they need policies that improve their lives.
“Nigerians do not expect economic lectures or political attacks on the opposition. They expect policies that make their lives better.
“The APC may dismiss these concerns, but Nigerians cannot dismiss the realities of the APC’s failures that they confront every day.
“Until the APC-led Tinubu government begins to measure success by the well-being of its citizens, the gap between official claims and the lived reality of Nigerians will only continue to widen,” it warned.