The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly criticised the economic policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, demanding that the President immediately reverse his current fiscal direction or resign from office. In a fierce national broadcast and statement issued on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party declared that the administration`s three-year tenure has yielded a "catastrophic failure" in human welfare, completely contradicting official claims of macroeconomic recovery.

The opposition party pointed directly to recent damning data from global institutions to back its claims, highlighting a sharp decline in living standards. The ADC noted that recent figures from the World Bank show approximately 139 million Nigerians—nearly 60 per cent of the total population—now live below the national poverty line. Compounding this, the World Food Programme (WFP) estimates reveal that 17 million Nigerians are currently battling acute hunger, painting a grim picture of widespread domestic suffering.

According to the ADC, these numbers expose a severe disconnect between the government`s celebrated metrics and the harsh reality on the ground. The party argued that while the presidency continues to celebrate improvements in economic indicators, such as increased revenue, economic growth, and rising foreign reserves, these abstract gains have failed to translate into better living conditions for ordinary citizens. They insisted that statistical growth is completely meaningless if the population cannot afford basic necessities.

The statement fiercely condemned the administration for prioritizing financial metrics over the physical survival of its citizens. “This catastrophic situation is the inevitable consequence of economic policies that have favoured money over people and statistics over survival,” Abdullahi stated. The ADC accused the government of stubbornly maintaining what it described as ruinous economic paths, while deceptively marketing public recklessness as political courage and governance wickedness as necessary citizens` pain.

Furthermore, the opposition party explicitly rejected the Federal Government’s heavy reliance on temporary palliative interventions, labeling them unsustainable and highly ineffective. They argued that short-term distribution programs cannot provide lasting solutions to deep-rooted structural poverty and food insecurity. Instead, the party maintained that Nigeria`s severe poverty crisis can only be systematically addressed through deep-seated structural reforms that stimulate local production, revive small businesses, and protect livelihoods.

As an alternative roadmap, the ADC outlined a comprehensive economic agenda specifically aimed at lowering food prices and revitalizing the rural economy. The party pledged to aggressively reduce energy costs for local manufacturers and improve security in farming communities that have been displaced by violence. Crucially, they promised to rehabilitate Nigeria’s 264 abandoned dams to expand irrigation farming, ensuring that agricultural production is sustained throughout the year rather than relying solely on seasonal rainfall.

The ADC blueprint also prioritizes heavy investments in agricultural infrastructure and human capital development across the country`s geopolitical zones. The party promised to increase direct access to quality seeds, subsidized fertilisers, and modern agricultural extension services while building regional agro-processing and storage facilities to cut down post-harvest losses. Additionally, they vowed to direct national investments toward healthcare, basic education, and targeted nutrition programs to systematically tackle the root causes of systemic poverty.

In its concluding remarks, the ADC stressed that hunger remains the most honest, unalterable measure of any president`s economic performance. The party insisted that until fewer Nigerians go to bed hungry and families can easily afford three decent meals a day, all official claims of economic success will remain unrecognisable to the public. Based on this assessment, the ADC stated that President Tinubu should deeply reflect on his performance over the last three years and consider stepping down rather than seeking a second term in office.