Lucky Obukohwo Reporting
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, have accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of worsening economic hardship and leaving millions of Nigerians struggling with rising living costs.
The ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said petrol prices, which have risen to as much as N1,470 per litre, were driving up the cost of food, transportation, electricity and education.
The party also raised concerns over reported 30 to 40 per cent increases in private school fees, arguing that household incomes had failed to keep pace with rising expenses.
According to the ADC, many families are now being forced to skip meals, withdraw children from school, abandon medical treatment and shut down businesses.
It said economic reforms should improve citizens’ welfare rather than deepen hardship.
Atiku, in a separate statement through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, accused the government of exporting Nigeria’s wealth in raw form while domestic manufacturers struggle to sell their products.
He said raw-material exports rose by 106 per cent, from N1.86 trillion in the first half of 2025 to N3.84 trillion in the same period of 2026, while about N2.14 trillion worth of manufactured goods remained unsold.
Atiku argued that Nigeria must process commodities such as cocoa, cotton, hides and minerals locally to create jobs and retain more value.
He also blamed high energy, transport and borrowing costs, alongside the naira’s depreciation, for worsening pressure on businesses and households.
He proposed an Economic Recovery Plan focused on affordable financing, industrial development, agro-processing and local manufacturing, alongside a production-linked fuel subsidy and a $10 billion financing programme for young entrepreneurs and start-ups.
Both the ADC and Atiku said economic growth figures would matter little unless Nigerians could feel the benefits in their incomes, businesses and homes, setting the issue of economic policy as a major theme ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
