The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, warning that soaring fuel prices and rampant inflation are pushing Nigerians to the brink of survival.
In a statement released in Abuja, ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi argued that recent hikes—with petrol selling for up to N1,470 per litre in parts of the country—have made food, transportation, healthcare, and education largely unaffordable.
Abdullahi pointed to widespread reports of private schools raising fees by 30 to 40 percent as a clear sign of systemic economic pressure, noting that stagnant wages leave parents unable to absorb the increases.
“Parents are not earning 40 percent more. Their salaries have not kept pace with fuel, food, rent, transport, or school fees,” Abdullahi said. “Yet at every turn, this government demands that already exhausted families pay more. Parents, workers, and businesses are all casualties of Tinubu and the APC’s economy.”
The opposition party claimed that the current administration’s fiscal reforms have imposed an unsustainable burden on ordinary households, forcing many to make desperate adjustments.
“At N1,470 per litre, petrol is no longer simply a commodity—it is a ‘Tinubu Tax’ that has made life unbearable for the majority,” the statement read. “People have started to choke. Families are skipping meals, withdrawing children from school, abandoning medical treatment, and shutting down businesses. When parents must choose between feeding their children and educating them, the government has failed in its most basic responsibility.”
The ADC also rejected the administration’s defensive arguments regarding long-term structural gains, asserting that macroeconomic statistics mean little if citizens cannot afford basic necessities.
“A reform that continuously makes the people poorer is not working. An economic policy that produces impressive figures at government briefings but hunger in Nigerian homes is a failure,” Abdullahi added.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general election, the party framed the contest as a choice between the current administration’s austerity and the platform offered by ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar.
The party reiterated Atiku’s proposal to reduce fuel costs by implementing targeted measures to support domestic refining, which it argues would drive down the broader cost of food and transportation.
“Nigeria cannot be an oil-producing country whose citizens see every visit to a filling station as a punishment,” Abdullahi said. “The people are suffering, businesses are dying, and hope is becoming increasingly expensive. President Tinubu must act now.”
