By Our Reporter
African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised questions on how the reported N6.4 trillion savings from the removal of fuel subsidy are being utilised by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led federal Government.
According to the opposition party, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC’s) had claimed that the hardship being experienced by Nigerians is temporary, and does not in any material time align with available data.
“Economic reforms should be judged by their impact on citizens. When poverty rises from 50 per cent to 63 per cent, when nine out of 10 Nigerians say the country is on the wrong path, and when millions struggle to afford basic necessities, it is clear that something is fundamentally wrong,” the ADC stated.
It said that Nigerians expect policies that improve their living conditions, stressing that the gap between official claims and the realities faced by citizens will widen if the government fails to prioritise their welfare.
However, the ADC pointedly said that what it has been telling Nigerians are what surveys shows, that many Nigerians have gone without essential needs over the past year, and that recent surveys showed that 82 percent of Nigerians report going without enough food at least once in the past year.
ADC in a statement signed by Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, National Publicity Secretary of the party, stated that 82 per cent of Nigerians have gone without medical care while 79 per cent are without cooking fuel just as 74 per cent have no clean water and 95 per cent without a cash income at some point during the year.
Abdullahi, reeled out these figures in response to criticisms from the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday, March 15, 2026, accusing the ADC of inciting Nigerians through its comments on the economic reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration.
He said that increase in fuel prices has pushed up transportation costs and food prices; as “Petrol prices have increased by nearly 500 percent since President Bola Tinubu assumed office.
“88 percent of Nigerians describe the national economy as “bad”, while 74 percent say their personal living conditions are “poor”. These are not opposition talking points. They are the views of Nigerians themselves, APC members included.
“Nigerians are therefore left to ask a simple question: if the subsidy savings are truly being redirected to critical sectors, where exactly is all the money going? Why are local contractors not paid? Why are the universities still poorly equipped?” Abdullahi asked.
The ADC specifically said it only highlighted available data on the economic situation in the country, adding that reports indicated that Nigeria’s poverty rate has risen to 63 percent from about 50 percent before the removal of the petrol subsidy.
He noted that the figures reflect the human cost of the administration’s economic policies, saying that independent surveys clearly show that many Nigerians believe the country is moving in the wrong direction.
“The independent report that triggered this debate shows that Nigeria’s poverty rate has risen to 63 per cent, up from about 50 per cent before the removal of petrol subsidy”, he stressed, adding that millions of Nigerians have been pushed into poverty since the reforms were introduced.
He said, the surveys indicated that 93 per cent of Nigerians believe the country is heading in the wrong direction.
Developments in the agricultural sector is disturbing, as reports indicate that nearly 90 rice mills in Nigeria have shut down while many others are operating below capacity, Abdullahi said.
“Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that Nigeria’s food import bill has increased significantly. The food import bill rose from N3.83 trillion in 2023 to N7.65 trillion.