By Lateef Ibrahim
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has characterized the Federal Government’s newly announced $1 billion social protection programme as a frantic response to the targeted production subsidy proposal put forward by its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of imposing severe economic hardship on Nigerians for three years, only to introduce a hurriedly assembled palliative scheme ahead of upcoming elections.
The ADC questioned why the administration previously declared subsidies unsustainable, only to launch a billion-dollar intervention following widespread acceptance of Atiku’s proposed production subsidies to lower the cost of living.
The party stated that three years of fuel subsidy removal and economic reforms have drastically reduced purchasing power, inflated food and transport costs, and worsened poverty across the country.
Highlighting past disbursements, the ADC called for an independent audit of the over N600 billion previously allocated for cash transfers, pointing to documented inefficiencies and the lack of a verifiable social register.
The party raised constitutional questions regarding the unveiling of a $1 billion public project by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, requesting clarification on the legal authority, budgetary approvals, and accounting structures overseeing the funds.
The ADC maintained that sustainable economic relief cannot be achieved by creating poverty through policy failures and subsequently distributing temporary cash palliatives, reiterating that genuine reform must focus on restoring production, purchasing power, and public dignity.
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