If Tinubu saved economy, APC deceived Nigerians for eight years under Buhari — ADC tells Shettima

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has challenged Vice-President Kashim Shettima’s claim that President Bola Tinubu rescued Nigeria from economic collapse.

Shettima had said Nigerians should recognise the difficult economic measures introduced by Tinubu since taking office, particularly the removal of the petrol subsidy and the harmonisation of multiple exchange rates.

He said Nigeria’s economy was “teetering on the verge of collapse” when Tinubu assumed office, likening the situation to “the road to Caracas”.

ADC TO SHETTIMA: YOUR COMMENTS AN INDICTMENT OF APC

In a statement released on Sunday, Kola Ologbondiyan, director of media and publicity of the ADC presidential campaign council, said Shettima’s description of Nigeria as heading towards “Caracas” under former President Muhammadu Buhari amounted to an indictment of the APC administration.

“Vice President Shettima’s statement is self-indicting. If Nigeria was heading to Caracas under Buhari, it means Buhari and the APC deceived Nigerians for eight years,” the statement reads.

“And if that is the case, why should Nigerians believe Tinubu, who is of the same APC stock and was a major promoter and defender of the Buhari administration?”

Ologbondiyan argued that the APC could not distance itself from its previous record, noting that Tinubu had previously defended the Buhari administration and promised to build on the legacy of the late former president.

“But Nigerians do not know Buhari as an individual; Nigerians know APC. It is the APC, on whose platform President Tinubu is seeking a second term, that has failed Nigerians for almost 12 years and is undeserving of another four years,” he said.

The ADC spokesperson accused the APC-led government of poor performance across several areas, including roads, electricity, public institutions and the rising cost of living.

He said the priority for many Nigerians was access to affordable food and other basic necessities rather than political messaging.

“Our roads are no longer motorable, there is no electricity, our institutions have collapsed. But what concerns ordinary Nigerians today is food, food and food, not baseless propaganda,” he said.

“President Tinubu has not saved Nigeria from collapse; he has pushed the country deeper into economic ruin, marked by unprecedented hunger, hyperinflation, naira devaluation, insecurity, mass unemployment and excruciating cost of living.”

Ologbondiyan further argued that Nigerians were already living through what Shettima described as the “Caracas” scenario, rather than merely approaching it.