The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of attempting to win back Nigerians with its newly announced $1 billion social protection programme after three years of what the opposition party described as economic hardship caused by the government’s policies.
The party said the initiative was a belated response to a proposal by its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for a targeted production subsidy aimed at reducing the cost of living, alleging that the Tinubu administration had rejected the idea when it was first proposed.
In a statement issued on Friday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC questioned the timing of the programme, asking why the government had suddenly found $1 billion to support vulnerable Nigerians after repeatedly telling citizens that there were limited resources to cushion the effects of its economic reforms.
According to the party, the decision to introduce the social protection programme showed that the Federal Government had finally acknowledged the need to protect Nigerians from the economic shocks associated with policies such as the removal of the fuel subsidy.
The ADC said this was the same concern Atiku had raised when he proposed a targeted production subsidy to reduce the cost of living.
“This is precisely what our Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has been saying in proposing a targeted production subsidy to bring down the cost of living,” the party said.
The opposition party alleged that the Tinubu administration had previously rejected Atiku’s proposal, with government officials insisting that subsidy, in whatever form, was no longer feasible.
The ADC therefore questioned why the government had now announced a $1 billion programme aimed at cushioning Nigerians from the consequences of its economic policies.
“Why did it take Atiku’s widely accepted plan for this wicked government to remember that economic reforms must protect human beings?” it asked.
The party further accused the administration of worsening living conditions through rising food, fuel, transportation and energy costs.
It alleged that businesses had collapsed and that millions of Nigerians had experienced a significant decline in their purchasing power under the present administration.
“Nigerians will not forget that President Tinubu’s ill-conceived and terribly executed reforms have made their lives a living hell,” the ADC said.
“No amount of palliative, by whatever fancy names they are called, will make them forget this painful period.”
The ADC also questioned the management of previous social intervention programmes, citing the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs’ claim that more than N600 billion had been disbursed through cash transfers over the past three years to slightly more than 10 million households.
The party demanded evidence of the beneficiaries and measurable impact of the expenditure.
“What evidence exists of actual beneficiaries, and what measurable impact did that N600 billion have? Have these numbers ever been independently verified?” it asked.
The opposition party also raised concerns about the reliability of the social register used for government intervention programmes, alleging that previous schemes had been undermined by the absence of a robust and verifiable database, as well as corruption and mismanagement.
It demanded to know what the Federal Government intended to do differently under the new $1 billion programme.
The ADC further questioned the political timing of the intervention, alleging that it was a political programme by an administration desperate to demonstrate achievements ahead of the 2027 elections.
“But no one is in doubt what this $1 billion intervention is about: a political programme by a government desperate to show something as the election approaches after spending three years getting richer while the people get poorer,” the party alleged.
It also questioned the proposed one-off N40,000 payment to families, arguing that the amount could not adequately address the broader economic hardship facing Nigerians.
“A government whose so-called reform has destroyed purchasing power through higher food, fuel, transport and energy costs, cannot now return with a one-off N40,000 per family, which it cynically tagged ‘shock-response payment’,” the ADC said.
“This makes one wonder if this is not indeed a vote-buying programme.”
The party also questioned the role of First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, in the programme, particularly because she unveiled the initiative.
While acknowledging that a president’s wife could lend her voice to humanitarian causes or undertake personal projects, the ADC said it was unusual for an unelected official to launch a Federal Government social intervention programme involving $1 billion.
“Is this a Federal Government programme or a project of the First Lady?” the party asked.
The ADC demanded clarification on who was funding the programme, the budget head or financing arrangement under which the money was approved, the approval process and the institution responsible for accounting for the funds.
It also asked who would control the disbursement of the money and who would be accountable to the Auditor-General and the National Assembly.
“If these are public funds, what statutory authority does the Office of the First Lady have over them, if any?” it asked.
The party insisted that public funds must be spent in accordance with established guidelines and managed by individuals and institutions constitutionally authorised to do so.
The ADC, however, said it supported every genuine effort to protect vulnerable Nigerians but argued that palliatives could not provide a lasting solution to the country’s economic challenges.
It said Nigeria could not build prosperity by “manufacturing poverty” through failed reforms and subsequently distributing palliatives to those affected by them.
“The real choice before Nigerians is becoming clearer every day: between a government that is content on managing poverty and an alternative determined to restore purchasing power, production and dignity,” the party said.
The opposition party maintained that if the Tinubu administration had now recognised the need to shield Nigerians from the effects of its economic reforms, it should acknowledge the argument previously advanced by Atiku.
“If the Tinubu administration has suddenly discovered that Nigerians need protection from the cost of its failed reforms, then perhaps the first thing it should do is admit that Atiku was right: reform without relief is not courage; it is cruelty,” the ADC said.
As of press time, the Presidency had yet to respond to the ADC’s allegations and demands for clarification on the $1 billion programme, including questions concerning its funding, disbursement and accountability.