The African Democratic Congress has called on President Bola Tinubu to reverse his economic policies or resign from office, accusing his administration of worsening poverty and hardship across the country.
The opposition party said the latest figures indicating that about 139 million Nigerians, representing roughly 60 per cent of the population, live below the national poverty line, showed that the Federal Government’s economic reforms had failed to improve citizens’ living conditions.
In a statement issued on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the administration’s celebrated gains in revenue generation, foreign reserves and other macroeconomic indicators had not translated into better living standards for ordinary Nigerians.
The party maintained that the worsening poverty rate and rising food insecurity were evidence that the government’s economic policies had deepened the hardship facing millions of Nigerians.
“The African Democratic Congress is seriously disturbed by the recent reports indicating that 139 million Nigerians, or about 60 per cent of the country’s population, now live below the national poverty line,” the statement read.
According to the party, the development was the inevitable outcome of economic policies that had prioritised “money over people and statistics over survival.”
The ADC recalled that it had consistently warned that economic reforms would have little meaning if they failed to improve the welfare of citizens.
“The economic growth, increased revenue and rising foreign reserves being celebrated by the government are meaningless if they do not translate into better lives for Nigerians or protect their livelihoods,” it stated.
The opposition party accused the Tinubu administration of refusing to review what it described as “ruinous economic policies,” despite growing public concerns over inflation, high food prices and the rising cost of living.
It argued that after three years in office, the latest poverty figures had become the administration’s performance scorecard.
According to the party, the reported 139 million Nigerians living in poverty and an estimated 17 million people facing the risk of starvation reflected what it described as a failure of the government’s economic management.
The ADC said the President should focus on addressing the worsening socio-economic situation rather than seeking another term in office.
The party also criticised the government’s reliance on palliative measures, insisting that temporary interventions could not provide a lasting solution to poverty.
“Poverty cannot be defeated through palliatives. It can only be defeated by building an economy that enables Nigerians to produce more food, earn decent incomes and live with dignity,” the statement added.
As part of its proposed alternative economic agenda, the ADC pledged to improve security in farming communities, rehabilitate the country’s abandoned dams to support irrigation, expand food production, strengthen agricultural value chains, reduce post-harvest losses and invest more in education, healthcare and skills development.
The party also promised to build what it described as an integrated national food economy through coordinated agricultural production, processing, storage and transportation to reduce food prices and create jobs.
The statement comes amid growing criticism of the Federal Government’s economic reforms, including the removal of petrol subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange market.
While the Tinubu administration has defended the reforms as necessary to restore long-term economic stability, critics argue that the policies have contributed to soaring inflation, escalating food prices and increased cost of living across the country.
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