BY AHMED AKANBI
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has described the Federal Government’s planned $1 billion social protection programme as a “panic reaction” to its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s proposal for targeted production subsidies.
The party said the announcement was proof that the Tinubu administration was attempting to regain public support through a hurried palliative ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC accused the government of worsening economic hardship and suddenly “discovering compassion and money” after three years of denying funds for relief.
The ADC questioned the source and funding structure of the $1 billion programme, particularly the role of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, in unveiling it.
According to the party, the government had repeatedly claimed there was insufficient money to cushion the impact of its reforms, but had now found $1 billion as elections approach.
“The government dismissed that proposal and its officials told Nigerians that subsidy, in whatever form, was impossible,” the statement said, noting that the new fund vindicated Atiku’s call for targeted production subsidies.
The ADC alleged that fuel subsidy removal had collapsed businesses and eroded household purchasing power.
It also questioned previous social interventions, citing government claims that over N600 billion was disbursed through cash transfers to 10 million households in three years.
The party demanded evidence of beneficiaries, measurable impact, and independent verification of the figures.
For the new $1 billion intervention, ADC asked: “Is this a Federal Government programme or a project of the First Lady? Who exactly is funding it? Under which budget head or financing arrangement was the money approved?”
It further demanded clarity on the accounting authority and who would answer to the Auditor-General and the National Assembly.
While supporting efforts to protect vulnerable Nigerians, the ADC said palliatives cannot provide lasting solutions.
“Sustainable economic recovery requires policies that restore purchasing power, stimulate production and protect citizens from the negative effects of economic reforms.
“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,” Abdullahi stated.