N1,470/litre; Tinubu economic policy pushing Nigerians to breaking point — ADC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has warned President Bola Tinubu that his administration’s economic policies are pushing Nigerians “dangerously close to the limits of human endurance,” citing the rising cost of petrol, food and education.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said that with petrol now selling for as much as N1,470 per litre, transportation, food and even basic education have become increasingly out of reach for ordinary citizens.

“President Tinubu has turned the petrol pump into an instrument of punishment for everyday Nigerians,” the party said, adding that the cost of fuel now drives up virtually everything Nigerians need to survive.

The ADC pointed to widespread reports of private schools raising fees by between 30 and 40 per cent, even as incomes have failed to keep pace. “Parents are not earning 40 per cent more,” the statement said, noting that salaries have not risen in step with fuel, food, rent, transportation and school fees.

The party said it did not blame school proprietors, describing them as “struggling” with rising taxes, electricity bills, fuel costs, rent, and salaries, and said “parents, workers, and businesses are all casualties” of the current economic climate.

Describing the current pump price as a “Tinubu Tax,” the ADC said Nigerians have been “tightening their belts” under the APC administration and now “have started to choke,” with families skipping meals, withdrawing children from school, abandoning medical treatment and shutting down businesses.

The party also criticised public officials for maintaining what it called extravagant lifestyles from public funds while demanding continued sacrifice from ordinary citizens, arguing that an economic reform “that continuously makes the people poorer is not working.”

“When parents must choose between feeding their children and educating them, the government has failed spectacularly in its most basic responsibility,” the statement said.

The ADC framed the 2027 general election as a choice between continuing under Tinubu’s policies and the relief programme proposed by its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. It restated Atiku’s pledge to reduce the price of petrol by reintroducing subsidies to support domestic fuel production, which it said would in turn ease the cost of food, transportation and production.

“Unlike Tinubu and APC, we recognise that economic reform must serve the people, not sacrifice them,” the party said, adding that Nigeria, as an oil-producing country, should not have citizens who dread visits to filling stations.

The ADC further cautioned the ruling party against mistaking Nigerians’ patience for approval, warning that “resilience must not become an excuse for continued cruelty.” It called on President Tinubu to act urgently, saying he had “had enough time and inflicted enough pain.”