The African Democratic Congress (ADC) spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, has said the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration have failed to ease the hardship faced by ordinary Nigerians.
Speaking on Channels Television on Wednesday, July 23, Abdullahi criticised what he described as the government’s widening disconnect from the people, noting that the suffering has intensified while officials continue to live in luxury.
“The policies of this government have not worked,” he said. “The people are suffering, but government officials have convoys that are getting longer; they are living in opulence, while you say people should continue to suffer.”
He questioned the government’s lack of transparency and long-term strategy, especially in failing to explain what citizens would gain from enduring economic pain.
“If you know that the people are going to suffer as a result of these policies that you have adopted and you are unable to mitigate it, you tell the people, ‘If we do this, we will suffer for this period, then this is the reward we will get,’” he said.
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Abdullahi also raised concerns over the use of funds saved from the removal of fuel subsidy. While acknowledging that some of the money had been allocated to states for infrastructure, he insisted that there was little to show for it in the lives of everyday Nigerians.
“Where’s that money going? It’s already been given to states; they’ve been spending on infrastructure. Then the question is, how does this affect the life of an ordinary person who has to buy petrol for 1,000 naira?” he asked.
Illustrating his point further, he said, “Now, okay, if I buy petrol for 1,000 naira, I want to be able to walk into a hospital and get cheaper drugs or free drugs. And I say, ‘Oh, that is the, that’s why, that’s the saving, that’s why I’m paying for it.’ But you don’t see that.”
Abdullahi’s remarks echoed growing frustration over the gap between government promises and the everyday reality of millions of Nigerians.