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•Increase in poverty rate is Tinubu’s scorecard – ADC
•You’ve lost touch with current global realities, ruling party replies
From Ndubuisi Orji and Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the ruling All progressives Congress (APC) engaged in a war of words last night over the increase in poverty rate, which reportedly surged to 63 per cent following the removal of fuel subsidy.
Research findings presented by Mohammed Shuaibu of the University of Abuja at a stakeholders’ dialogue organised by Agora Policy in Abuja on Thursday said Nigeria’s poverty rate rose sharply from about 49.8 per cent to roughly 63 per cent following the subsidy removal..
The African Democratic Congress (ADC), yesterday, said the reports that Nigeria’s poverty rate has risen to 63 per cent after the removal of subsidy Premium Motor Spirit(PMS), is the real scorecard of the President Bola Tinubu administration.
The ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the new figures reflect the economic hardship confronting millions of Nigerians, owing to rising fuel and transport costs, which have pushed up the cost of living.
The opposition party noted that while the government has continued to justify the removal of fuel subsidy, so as to divert resources to critical areas, including health and education, there have not been improved funding for the sectors.
“The ADC considers latest report showing that Nigeria’s poverty rate has risen to 63 per cent following the removal of petrol subsidy by President Tinubu three years ago as a damning verdict on the administration’s economic policies.
“Yet, this report only confirms what millions of Nigerians already know from their daily experience: the cost of living is rising rapidly, purchasing power is collapsing, and families across the country are being pushed deeper into hardship.
“The report, presented at a policy dialogue in Abuja Thursday indicated that poverty in Nigeria rose sharply from about 50 per cent before the subsidy removal to 63 per cent afterward, as higher fuel and transport costs spread through the economy and drove up the prices of food, transportation, and other basic necessities.
“This verdict reflects the real consequences of the APC government’s hasty removal of fuel subsidy without giving full consideration to how such a serious decision would impact on the livelihoods of ordinary citizens,” the party stated.
The ADC added that “independent surveys already show that 93 per cent of Nigerians believes that under President Tinubu, the country is heading in the wrong direction, even as 88 per cent described the national economy as bad, while another 74 per cent said their personal living conditions are poor. These are not abstract statistics, they are the voices of a population under intense economic pressure.
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“There is also mounting evidence of widespread deprivation. A large majority of Nigerians report going without basic necessities such as food, clean water, medical care, cooking fuel, and even cash income at different times during the past year.
“For millions of households, economic hardship is no longer a temporary difficulty, it has become daily reality. This is what happens when government is more concerned with external validation than the well-being of its own people.”
But the All progressives Congress (APC), in its reaction, pooh-poohed what it called the misleading narrative being peddled by “an opposition party that appears to have completely lost touch with current global realities.”
Speaking with Saturday Sun last night, National Chairman of the APC, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda said the ADC’s attempt to attribute the recent pressures on fuel prices and the cost of living solely to domestic policy decisions was both simplistic and disingenuous.
Speaking through his spokesman, Abimbola Tooki, the APC chairman said the global energy market has in recent times experienced significant volatility due largely to the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, particularly developments involving Iran and other actors in the region. “These tensions have pushed up the international price of crude oil, with direct consequences for petroleum product prices across many countries, including Nigeria.
“It is therefore intellectually dishonest for the ADC to ignore these global factors while seeking to score cheap political points. As history has repeatedly shown, fluctuations in crude oil prices are often tied to international conflicts and geopolitical developments, and the current situation is no exception.
“As soon as there is a considerable settlement among the warring factions, the global oil market is expected to stabilise, which will in turn ease the pressure currently being experienced.
“More importantly, the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has remained focused on long-term economic stability and the welfare of Nigerians. The difficult but necessary reforms undertaken by the government, including the removal of fuel subsidy, are designed to redirect national resources to productive sectors and lay the foundation for sustainable economic growth.”
He said contrary to the claims of the ADC, the APC-led government continues to prioritise policies and programmes that protect vulnerable Nigerians while repositioning the economy for resilience and prosperity.
“The APC therefore urges opposition parties to engage in responsible and constructive criticism rather than exploiting temporary global economic headwinds for partisan propaganda.
“The government remains committed to sustaining policies that will ultimately improve the welfare, opportunities, and quality of life for all Nigerians,” he added.
