By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has warned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the Federal Government’s economic policies are pushing Nigerians “dangerously close to the limits of human endurance.”
The party, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the rising cost of petrol, food, transportation, electricity and education had placed an increasing burden on households and businesses across the country.
The ADC said with petrol selling for as much as N1,470 per litre, the cost of transportation and production had risen significantly, with the effects spreading across virtually every aspect of daily life.
“President Tinubu has turned the petrol pump into an instrument of punishment for everyday Nigerians,” the party said, arguing that the price of fuel directly affects food, transportation, electricity and education costs.
The opposition party also expressed concern over reports of private schools increasing fees by between 30 and 40 per cent, saying the development was worsening the financial pressure on families whose incomes had not risen at a comparable rate.
The ADC, however, said it did not blame school proprietors for the increases, noting that they were also contending with higher taxes, electricity bills, fuel costs, rents and staff salaries.
“Parents, workers, and businesses are all casualties of Tinubu and the APC’s economy,” the party said.
According to the ADC, the current economic situation has forced some families to skip meals, withdraw their children from school, abandon medical treatment and close businesses, while government officials continue to spend public funds on what it described as extravagant lifestyles.
The party said economic reforms should improve citizens’ welfare, arguing that policies that leave Nigerians poorer cannot be considered successful merely because government economic indicators appear positive.
“A reform that continuously makes the people poorer is not working. An economic policy that produces impressive figures at government briefings but hunger in Nigerian homes is a failure,” the ADC said.
The party said the 2027 general election would provide Nigerians with an opportunity to choose between continuing with the current administration’s economic policies and the relief programme proposed by its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
It reiterated Atiku’s commitment to reducing petrol prices through the reintroduction of subsidy measures to support domestic fuel production, which it said would help lower the cost of food, transportation and production.
“Unlike Tinubu and APC, we recognise that economic reform must serve the people, not sacrifice them,” the party said.
The ADC further warned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) against interpreting Nigerians’ patience and resilience as approval of the government’s economic policies.
“Our resilience must not become an excuse for continued cruelty. Tinubu has had enough time and inflicted enough pain. The people are suffering, businesses are dying, and hope is becoming increasingly expensive,” the party said.
It urged President Tinubu to take urgent steps to address the economic hardship, warning: “Don’t push Nigerians to their limits.”
