The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has fired back at the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, accusing the government of ignoring the worsening poverty faced by Nigerians under the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration and dismissing the everyday hardships of citizens.
The accusations were made in a statement issued on Sunday by the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi.
According to the party, its earlier remarks on rising poverty levels under the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu were based on available data and the everyday experiences of citizens.
The statement partly read, “The ADC takes note of the ruling party’s response to our earlier statement on the rising poverty figures under the Bola Tinubu-led government,” the statement read.
The party accused the APC of avoiding the substantive issues raised and instead attacking the opposition.
“But 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 ADC said.
According to the party, recent independent reports indicate that Nigeria’s poverty rate has risen significantly since the removal of petrol subsidy.
“The independent report that triggered this debate shows that Nigeria’s poverty rate has risen to 63 percent, up from about 50 percent before the removal of petrol subsidy,” the statement said.
The ADC added that the development meant “tens of millions of additional Nigerians have been pushed into poverty in the period since the administration’s failed economic policies were introduced.”
Citing survey data, the opposition party said the majority of Nigerians believe the country is moving in the wrong direction.
“Independent surveys show that 93 percent of Nigerians believe the country is heading in the wrong direction. Eighty-eight percent describe the national economy as bad, while 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,” it stated.
The party also rejected the APC’s claim that the hardship currently being experienced by Nigerians is temporary.
“The APC also insists that the hardship Nigerians are experiencing is ‘transient.’ But the numbers tell a different story,” the statement said.
It cited survey findings indicating that “82 percent of Nigerians report going without enough food at least once in the past year, 82 percent 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.”
The ADC further criticised the impact of rising fuel prices on the economy.
“The APC speaks proudly of macroeconomic indicators but Nigerians live in a real economy where fuel prices have surged by almost 500 percent, from about N255 per litre in May 2023 when Tinubu came into office, to around N1,500 per litre today in many parts of the country,” it said.
According to the party, the administration’s policies have also negatively affected the food and agriculture sector.
“Latest reports have it that out of more than 150 rice mills across Nigeria, nearly 90 have shut down operations, while the remaining mills are operating at between 30 and 70 percent of their installed capacity,” the statement said, attributing the situation to policies that allegedly encourage import dependency.
The ADC also cited data from the National Bureau of Statistics, saying Nigeria’s food import bill had increased significantly.
“Official data from the National Bureau of Statistics show that Nigeria’s food import bill has jumped from N3.83 trillion in 2023 to N7.65 trillion today, an increase of about 100 percent,” it said.
The opposition party concluded by urging the government to prioritise policies that improve the welfare of citizens.
“Nigerians do not expect economic lectures or political attacks on the opposition. They expect policies that make their lives better,” the statement added.
“Until the APC-led Tinubu government begins to measure success by the well-being of its citizens, the gap between official claims and the living reality of Nigerians will only continue to widen.”
