The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has launched a scathing attack on President Bola Tinubu over worsening economic hardship and insecurity in the country, accusing the administration of pushing Nigeria toward deeper crisis while allegedly laying the groundwork for manipulation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The opposition party reacted to Tinubu’s remarks during his acceptance speech after emerging as the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress for the 2027 presidential race.
During the speech, Tinubu criticised opposition parties, saying they lacked vision and would drag the country backwards if returned to power.
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But in a statement issued Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC described the President’s comments as “both ironic and tragic” at a time Nigerians were battling soaring inflation, insecurity and rising poverty.
“If the opposition is going to take the country backwards, it would be to reset it from the edge of the dangerous precipice that the current administration has placed it on,” the party said.
The ADC argued that millions of Nigerians were facing severe hardship under Tinubu’s economic reforms, insisting that ordinary citizens could no longer cope with rising food prices, declining purchasing power and worsening insecurity.
The party cited projections indicating that nearly 35 million Nigerians could face acute food insecurity in 2026, while accusing the government of failing to halt the collapse in living standards across the country.
“Millions of families have been forced to reduce meals, businesses are shutting down daily under unbearable economic pressure, and farmers across many parts of the country can no longer safely access their farmlands because of banditry, kidnappings, and violent attacks,” Abdullahi stated.
Since assuming office in May 2023, Tinubu’s administration has rolled out major economic reforms, including the removal of petrol subsidy and the unification of Nigeria’s foreign exchange windows. The Federal Government has repeatedly defended the policies as necessary steps to stabilise the economy, attract foreign investment and prevent fiscal collapse.
However, the reforms have coincided with sharp increases in inflation, depreciation of the naira and a spike in the cost of living, triggering growing criticism from opposition parties, labour unions and civil society groups.
The ADC insisted the opposition could not be blamed for the country’s economic troubles.
“The opposition did not create the hunger in the land. The opposition did not destroy the value of the naira. The opposition did not create the insecurity that has turned farming communities into killing fields,” the statement added.
The party also questioned the outcome of the APC presidential primary in which Tinubu was announced to have polled 10.99 million votes.
Describing the figure as “an unbelievable concoction,” the ADC alleged that the exercise could represent an early attempt to psychologically prepare Nigerians for electoral manipulation ahead of the 2027 elections.
“In a process designed for President Tinubu to contest against himself, one may be tempted to dismiss the figure as laughable, if it were not recognisable for what it truly represents — a subtle attempt to set the stage and condition Nigerians for the kind of fantastic rigging being planned by the ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections,” the statement said.
The APC had yet to officially respond to the allegations as of Tuesday evening.
Tinubu, however, had earlier defended his administration’s reform agenda, admitting that the policies had imposed hardship not only on Nigerians but also on him personally.
The President said he had “lost sleep and weight” over the country’s economic challenges, while maintaining that the reforms were necessary to secure long-term economic stability for Nigeria.
Political analysts say the latest exchange signals the beginning of intensified political hostilities ahead of the 2027 elections, with opposition parties increasingly positioning economic hardship and insecurity as central campaign issues against the APC-led government.
