ADC Says Tinubu Revenue Claims False And Anti-people Policies Deepen Hardship

The African Democratic Congress has dismissed President Bola Tinubu’s claim that the Federal Government has met its 2025 revenue projection.

The party said the figures presented by the administration are misleading and do not reflect the realities of the budget.

In a statement by its interim National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC explained that the 2025 budget projected N41.81 trillion in revenue, but the government has so far reported N20.59 trillion, leaving a shortfall of N21.22 trillion. The party argued that even with optimistic assumptions, the numbers being celebrated are unrealistic and fail to add up when compared with actual collections.

The ADC also challenged Tinubu’s claim that the naira has gained strength since he took office. It noted that the official exchange rate was around N460 per dollar in May 2023, while the parallel market was between N700 and N800. The party said the naira has instead lost more than half of its value under the current administration, worsening the cost of food, transport and housing for ordinary Nigerians.

On borrowing, the opposition party faulted the President’s statement that government has stopped local borrowing. It recalled that the Debt Management Office recently raised over N136 billion through bonds, while the National Assembly approved a $21 billion loan in July, pushing national debt to $120 billion, the highest in Nigeria’s history.

The ADC said new policies such as the five percent petrol tax and the 300 percent increase in international passport fees are further evidence of an administration that punishes citizens instead of easing their burdens. It described the petrol tax as unfair, especially after subsidy removal left many struggling to cope with higher costs of living.

The party added that making passports among the most expensive in the world shows disregard for the welfare of citizens. It compared the cost to the United Kingdom, where passports are just a fraction of the minimum wage, unlike Nigeria where they now cost more than the national minimum wage.

According to the ADC, the government has turned hardship into a tool of governance by introducing taxes and price hikes while presenting them as progress. It said such policies push more Nigerians into poverty while creating comfort only for a privileged few at the top.

The statement concluded that Nigeria cannot continue on what it described as a path of propaganda-driven governance, where claims of revenue success mask growing poverty and economic suffering across the country.