The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of being disconnected from the realities facing ordinary Nigerians.
Naijaonpoint understands that the party was reacting to comments by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who reportedly said he did not see the level of hunger and hardship being reported across the country.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC described Onanuga’s remarks as insensitive and reflective of the mindset within the current administration.
Abdullahi said the comments showed that the Federal Government was becoming increasingly detached from the struggles of citizens battling rising living costs and worsening economic conditions.
“Those comments are not merely insensitive; they are a startling admission of how disconnected the APC government has become from the realities of the people it governs,” he said.
The party argued that the hardship being experienced across the country could not be dismissed as exaggerated or politically motivated.
“When over 80 per cent of Nigerians are struggling to feed their families, pay school fees, afford transportation and keep their businesses alive, it is extraordinary that a senior presidential spokesman can publicly suggest that the hardship is somehow overstated or even contrived,” the statement added.
The ADC blamed the economic hardship on what it described as poorly conceived and badly implemented policies introduced by the Tinubu administration since it came into office in May 2023.
“The truth is that Nigerians are not faking their suffering. The unprecedented cost-of-living crisis confronting the country today is the direct result of the ill-conceived and poorly executed economic policies of the Tinubu administration, which have thrown millions more into acute poverty since this government came to power,” Abdullahi said.
The party listed soaring food prices, rising transportation costs, declining purchasing power and worsening poverty as part of the daily struggles of many households.
“This is not opposition propaganda. It is the daily lived experience of ordinary Nigerians in every state of the federation,” the statement added.
The opposition party said a responsible government must measure the effects of its policies by listening to citizens in markets, farms, classrooms, workshops and streets.
“A sensible government does not measure the effects of its policies by merely looking at the people within its immediate circle or driving through paved roads,” Abdullahi said.
“It must listen to the people in the markets, on the farms, in the classrooms, in the workshops and in the streets.”
The ADC said while the administration may cite infrastructure projects as achievements, economic well-being remains the most important test of governance.
“The APC government will undoubtedly point to road infrastructure projects as its achievements. While even this is debatable, the fact remains that Nigerians cannot eat roads,” the statement said.
“The first responsibility of any government is to create economic conditions in which citizens can afford food, find jobs, run businesses and live with dignity. On this most fundamental test, the Tinubu administration has failed.”
The ADC maintained that the real issue was no longer whether Nigerians were experiencing hardship, but whether the government was willing to admit the consequences of its policies.
“The question is no longer whether Nigerians are suffering; Nigerians already know that they are,” Abdullahi stated.
“The real question is whether this government is prepared to acknowledge the consequences of its policies and accept responsibility for its historic failures.”
