93% of Nigerians dissatisfied with direction of Tinubu’s govt – ADC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said that a large majority of Nigerians believe the country is moving in the wrong direction.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party’s national publicity secretary said data from independent surveys indicate that about 93 percent of Nigerians are unhappy with the nation’s direction under the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Abdullahi attributed the sentiment to rising poverty levels, increasing cost of living and economic hardship being experienced across the country.

The opposition party had earlier accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government of pushing Nigeria’s poverty rate above 63 percent, arguing that recent economic policies have worsened the living conditions of millions of citizens.

Responding to the allegation, Felix Morka, APC national publicity secretary defended the government’s economic reforms.

He insisted that the policies are necessary and already beginning to produce positive results.

Morka also accused opposition parties of attempting to stir public anger against the government.

However, the ADC insisted that available data and reports reflect the difficult conditions Nigerians are currently facing.

According to the party, survey figures show that 88 percent of Nigerians consider the national economy to be in a poor state, while about 74 percent say their personal living conditions have deteriorated.

The party also cited reports indicating that a large proportion of Nigerians struggled to meet basic needs in the past year.

It said about 82 percent of citizens had at some point lacked adequate food or access to medical care, while many others had difficulty obtaining cooking fuel, clean water or steady income.

ADC further argued that the impact of economic reforms is evident in rising fuel prices since the removal of petrol subsidy in 2023.

The party noted that petrol prices have increased sharply from around N255 per litre when Tinubu assumed office to roughly N1,500 per litre in several parts of the country.

It said the surge in fuel costs has triggered higher transportation fares and food prices, placing additional pressure on households already struggling with inflation.

The party also questioned the government’s claim that funds saved from subsidy removal are being redirected to key sectors such as healthcare and social development.

According to the ADC, only a small portion of the federal capital budget was reportedly released for healthcare projects in 2025, raising concerns about how subsidy savings are being utilised.

The party also expressed concern over developments in the agricultural sector, noting that many rice mills across the country have reportedly shut down while others operate below capacity.

Citing figures from the National Bureau of Statistics, the ADC said Nigeria’s food import bill has risen sharply, doubling from about N3.83 trillion in 2023 to approximately N7.65 trillion in recent reports.

The party added that economic reforms should ultimately be judged by improvements in citizens’ welfare, adding that rising poverty levels and growing dissatisfaction among Nigerians suggest that current policies are not delivering the expected results.