ADC Slams Tinubu Over Revenue Claims, Says Government Celebrating Suffering As Success

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed President Bola Tinubu’s claims of record-breaking revenue growth, describing them as misleading and disconnected from the realities Nigerians face.

In a statement released on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the government’s narrative of generating N20.59 trillion between January and August 2025 is inconsistent with the N41.81 trillion projected in the 2025 budget.

The party argued that the figures being celebrated are “unrealistic” and pure “propaganda,” stressing that only 52.68% of statutory revenue and 15% of VAT accrue to the Federal Government.

The ADC also faulted Tinubu’s remarks on the naira, describing as “patently false” his claim that the dollar traded at N1,900 when he assumed office. It noted that on May 29, 2023, the official rate was about N460.72, while the parallel market rate was between N700 and N800.

On borrowing, the party accused the government of dishonesty, pointing out that the Debt Management Office recently raised N136.16 billion through bond auctions, while the National Assembly approved a $21 billion loan in July, pushing the nation’s debt to $120 billion.

The ADC further condemned the newly introduced 5% petrol tax and the 300% increase in passport fees, describing them as “cruel and insensitive.”

“The Tinubu administration is taxing the very survival of the people, monetising hardship, and celebrating suffering as success,” the statement read.

According to the ADC, instead of easing poverty, the government’s policies have deepened the plight of citizens, leaving Nigeria as the “poverty capital of the world.”