The African Democratic Congress has taken a swipe at the Federal Government over recent remarks by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, insisting that the comments reveal how far removed the administration is from the daily realities of many Nigerians.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, faulted Onanuga’s suggestion that reports of widespread hunger and hardship in the country may be overstated.
The ADC said the statement was troubling, arguing that millions of citizens are grappling with rising living expenses and shrinking incomes. According to the party, the economic strain felt across the country is too obvious to be dismissed.
“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,” Abdullahi said.
The opposition party maintained that many families are struggling to meet basic needs, including feeding, transportation, education and sustaining their livelihoods.
“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 said.
Blaming the situation on government policies introduced over the past three years, the ADC argued that economic reforms under the current administration have deepened poverty and worsened living conditions for many Nigerians.
“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 stated.
The party pointed to escalating food prices, transportation costs and the declining value of household incomes as evidence of the challenges facing citizens.
“This is not opposition propaganda. It is the daily lived experience of ordinary Nigerians in every state of the federation,” the statement added.
The ADC further contended that government officials appear disconnected from conditions outside their immediate environment and urged authorities to pay closer attention to public concerns.
“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. It must listen to the people in the markets, on the farms, in the classrooms, in the workshops and in the streets,” Abdullahi said.
“If the presidency genuinely cannot see the hunger and hardship that Nigerians are talking about, then it raises serious questions about whether it sees the people at all.”
The party acknowledged that the government may highlight infrastructure projects as achievements but argued that such projects do not address the immediate economic difficulties confronting citizens.
“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 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 statement added.
The ADC concluded that the real issue is whether the government is prepared to recognise the impact of its policies and take responsibility for the hardship being experienced nationwide.
“The question is no longer whether Nigerians are suffering; Nigerians already know that they are. The real question is whether this government is prepared to acknowledge the consequences of its policies and accept responsibility for its historic failures,” Abdullahi stated.
The criticism follows a recent public debate sparked by Onanuga’s comments on the state of the economy. The discussion has centred on the effects of reforms such as fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange liberalisation, measures the government says are necessary for economic recovery but which have also been linked to higher living costs.
