Paul Ibe, the media adviser to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised Daniel Bwala over his admission that the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration pushed more Nigerians into poverty.
Ibe said Bwala’s admission was an indictment of the administration, arguing that economic policies should improve the welfare of citizens rather than worsen their living conditions.
The media adviser stated this on Thursday in a post on his Facebook handle while reacting to comments made by Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, during an interview on Channels Television.
Bwala had acknowledged that more Nigerians fell into poverty after the Tinubu administration introduced its economic reforms.
He, however, maintained that the country had recorded “marked progress” since the reforms began, arguing that some level of hardship was inevitable whenever major economic restructuring was undertaken.
“Please let it be clear even to the opposition, the reason why you have this number of poor people and some of these doomsday analytics that people are giving is because we undertook a reform,” Bwala said.
“There is no part of the world where you start a reform like that there will not be discomfort.
“More people went down to poverty, acknowledged, but since when the reform started to today, we have made marked progress which is what we have spent the last three years talking to Nigerians about,” he added.
Reacting, Ibe argued that the admission raised serious questions about the impact of the administration’s policies on Nigerians.
He said the essence of economic reform was to improve human welfare, insisting that policies should be designed to serve the people and not force citizens to endure prolonged hardship.
According to him, if the reforms have resulted in more Nigerians becoming poor, reduced purchasing power and increased the cost of food, transportation and electricity, the government should review the policies.
Ibe also criticised what he described as continued defence of the reforms despite their impact on households and businesses.
He questioned who exactly was benefiting from the progress being claimed by the administration, contrasting the government’s increased revenue with the difficulties faced by Nigerians in meeting basic needs and sustaining businesses.
“Reform must have a human face. Economic policies should serve the people, not sacrifice the people on the altar of economic theories,” he said.
Ibe further drew attention to Atiku’s proposed alternative to the government’s approach to petrol subsidy and electricity pricing.
He said the former vice president had advocated a review of the policies, including a transparent, production-based subsidy framework designed to reduce energy costs and ease pressure on households and businesses.
The ADC chieftain argued that the success of an economic policy should ultimately be judged by its effect on the lives of citizens.
He said government could not rely solely on claims of economic progress while Nigerians continued to struggle with the cost of feeding their families, paying electricity bills and keeping businesses afloat.
The controversy comes amid continuing disagreement over the consequences of the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy and changes to the foreign exchange system.
While the Federal Government has defended the reforms as necessary steps to restructure the economy, critics have continued to raise concerns over their effect on the cost of living.
Ibe, however, argued that Nigerians deserved economic policies that would provide relief and improve their standard of living, rather than measures that deepen hardship.
This article first appeared on NaijaOnPoint: https://politicsnigeria.com/2026/10/08/atikus-aide-blasts-bwala-for-admitting-tinubus-reforms-increased-poverty/
… Atiku’s Aide Blasts Bwala For Admitting Tinubu’s Reforms Increased Poverty Read More on … NaijaOnPoint.
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