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Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 election, Adewole Adebayo, has accused the Federal Government of using its proposed ₦70,000 transport allowance for public sector workers as a political gimmick ahead of forthcoming elections.
Adebayo described the six-month intervention as an attempt to win voters’ support without addressing the economic challenges confronting Nigerian workers.
In a statement issued on Thursday by Mark Adebayo, the party’s presidential campaign council’s Chief Media and Communications Adviser, the SDP chieftain questioned the government’s decision to introduce the allowance, describing it as a “sudden Greek gift”.
“Your ₦70,000 transport intervention for Nigerian workers is vote-buying by trick,” he said.
Adebayo argued that the temporary relief would do little to tackle the rising cost of living, insisting that workers needed sustainable improvements in their earnings rather than short-term interventions.
He also criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu, accusing it of relying on temporary measures instead of developing long-term solutions to Nigeria’s economic problems.
“This fire-brigade approach to governance is proof that the APC administration completely lacks sustainable ideas for Nigeria’s development,” he said.
The SDP presidential candidate maintained that lasting economic progress would require investment in infrastructure, policies that create wealth and measures to improve workers’ purchasing power.
He pledged that, if elected, his administration would overhaul the economy, provide Nigerian workers with a sustainable living wage and pursue policies aimed at reducing poverty and insecurity.
Adebayo said his policy blueprint, titled Farewell to Poverty and Insecurity, contained his proposals for transforming the country’s economy and improving the living conditions of Nigerians.
“I have the best plans for the total and complete socioeconomic transformation of Nigeria and I am the best prepared and capable among all the presidential candidates,” he said.
The Federal Government announced the ₦70,000 transport allowance on Tuesday following a conciliation meeting in Abuja between government representatives and leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Under the agreement, payment of the allowance is expected to begin in November and continue for six months.
The government also approved the payment of outstanding peculiar allowance arrears dating back to May 1, 2026. The arrears are to be paid in three equal monthly instalments beginning in November.
However, the proposed transport allowance has drawn criticism from organised labour, with the Trade Union Congress (TUC) describing it as unsustainable and calling for an increase in workers’ salaries.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, TUC President Festus Osifo and Secretary-General Nuhu Toro urged the government to prioritise better wages and fulfil outstanding agreements with health workers under the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU).
The disagreement has renewed debate over whether temporary financial relief or lasting salary improvements offer a more effective response to the rising cost of living facing Nigerian workers.
