The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his recent comments against opposition parties, accusing his administration of plunging Nigerians into deeper economic hardship and insecurity.
The opposition party also raised concerns over what it described as early signs of plans to manipulate the 2027 general elections.
In a statement released on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC reacted to Tinubu’s remarks during his acceptance speech after emerging as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 election.
During the speech, Tinubu had claimed opposition parties lacked ideas and vision, warning Nigerians that handing power to them would take the country backwards.
But the ADC fired back, saying it was “ironic and tragic” for the President to make such statements while millions of Nigerians struggle daily with hunger, inflation, insecurity and worsening poverty.
“If the opposition is going to take the country backwards, it would be to reset it from the edge of the dangerous precipice that the current administration has placed it on,” the party stated.
The ADC accused Tinubu’s government of presiding over one of the toughest economic periods in Nigeria’s democratic history, insisting that ordinary citizens are bearing the brunt of policies introduced since 2023.
According to the party, many Nigerians can barely afford food, businesses are collapsing under economic pressure, while insecurity continues to prevent farmers from accessing their farmlands.
“It is both ironic and tragic that a government under whose watch nearly 35 million Nigerians are projected to face acute food insecurity in 2026 would accuse the opposition of lacking ideas or vision,” the statement read.
The party argued that the current hardship cannot be blamed on opposition parties, stressing that Nigerians are more interested in practical solutions than political speeches.
“The opposition did not create the hunger in the land. The opposition did not destroy the value of the naira. The opposition did not create the insecurity that has turned farming communities into killing fields,” the ADC added.
The opposition party also questioned the outcome of the APC presidential primary where Tinubu reportedly secured 10,999,162 votes.
Describing the figure as “unbelievable,” the ADC alleged that the result could be part of efforts to psychologically prepare Nigerians for what it called possible election manipulation ahead of 2027.
“In a process designed for President Tinubu to contest against himself, one may be tempted to dismiss the figure as laughable,” the party said.
“It represents a subtle attempt to condition Nigerians for the kind of fantastic rigging being planned ahead of the 2027 elections.”
The APC is yet to officially respond to the allegations raised by the ADC.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu had earlier admitted that the economic reforms introduced by his administration have been painful for Nigerians and for himself personally.
Speaking after clinching the APC presidential ticket in Abuja, Tinubu said he had also experienced sleepless nights and personal sacrifice while implementing reforms aimed at stabilising the economy.
Since assuming office in May 2023, the Tinubu administration has introduced major economic policies, including fuel subsidy removal and exchange rate reforms. While the government insists the measures are necessary to revive the economy, critics argue that they have worsened inflation and increased hardship for ordinary Nigerians.
Source: ADC statement / APC presidential primary speech
