The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed the Federal Government’s proposed N50,000 monthly cash relief as an election gimmick, accusing President Bola Tinubu of attempting to regain public goodwill ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The party said the timing of the announcement raised questions about the administration’s intentions, arguing that the intervention was a reaction to the ADC’s campaign promise to reduce the cost of living and make life more affordable for Nigerians.
In a statement on Saturday, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the Tinubu administration had repeatedly announced interventions without delivering tangible relief to Nigerians.
“President Tinubu is in full panic mode now. Since the ADC and our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, have made affordability and reducing the cost of living the cardinal focus of our campaign, the government has been announcing one desperate intervention or another,” Abdullahi said.
He listed the $1 billion Renewed Hope Social Intervention Fund, the 30-day fuel discount, the proposed cheaper transportation scheme and the N70,000 transportation allowance for workers as previous government announcements which, according to him, had failed to provide meaningful relief.
Questioning the purchasing power of the proposed N50,000 payment, the party asked what an average Nigerian household could afford with the amount amid rising food, transportation, fuel and healthcare costs.
“What exactly is N50,000 supposed to buy in Tinubu’s Nigeria today? How much food can a family purchase with that amount? How much transport can it cover? And for how long?” the ADC asked.
The opposition party accused the administration of failing to address the underlying causes of poverty, arguing that the government should have incorporated support for vulnerable Nigerians into its economic reform plans rather than introducing cash payments ahead of an election.
It said the government’s failure to account for previous intervention funds also raised concerns about the transparency of the latest programme.
“What has happened to the findings of the Auditor-General concerning the billions of Naira in previous cash transfers that could not be properly accounted for? Have those responsible been held accountable?” the party queried.
The ADC warned that the proposed intervention could become another avenue for the diversion of public funds under the guise of poverty alleviation, insisting that Nigerians deserved accountability over previous programmes before being asked to trust another initiative.
It maintained that addressing the cost-of-living crisis required restoring citizens’ purchasing power and reducing the cost of food, energy and transportation rather than introducing what it described as election-season handouts.