Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The African Democratic Congress has issued a blunt ultimatum to President Bola Tinubu, demanding an immediate reversal of his economic policies or his resignation, citing a World Bank report that estimates 139 million Nigerians—approximately 60 per cent of the population—now live below the national poverty line. In a statement issued on Saturday, July 18, 2026, the opposition party described the figures as evidence of a "catastrophic failure" and said the growing poverty and food insecurity should compel the president to reconsider seeking re-election in 2027. The ADC's National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the party was "seriously disturbed" by the World Bank's latest poverty assessment, which it said was consistent with a separate World Food Programme report indicating that 17 million Nigerians are now living with acute hunger, marking the worst food security crisis the country has experienced in nearly a decade.
"The evidence of 139 million people living in poverty and 17 million at the risk of starvation is President Tinubu's scorecard," the statement read. "On account of this catastrophic failure alone, President Tinubu should be contemplating resigning from office rather than seeking re-election". The ADC argued that the Tinubu administration had prioritised "money over people and statistics over survival," insisting that the government's celebrated gains in revenue generation, foreign reserves, and macroeconomic indicators had failed to translate into improved living conditions for ordinary Nigerians. It accused the government of stubbornly refusing to adjust what it described as "ruinous economic policies," marketing "recklessness as courage and wickedness as 'necessary pains'".
The party said the reports were "stark evidence" that the administration's economic reforms had failed and were "likely to deliver even more catastrophic consequences if President Tinubu continues in office beyond 2027". It criticised the government's reliance on palliative programmes, arguing that temporary interventions could not solve structural poverty. "Poverty cannot be defeated through palliatives. It can only be defeated by building an economy that enables Nigerians to produce more food, earn decent incomes, and live with dignity," the ADC said.
As part of its alternative economic agenda, the ADC pledged to tackle insecurity in farming communities, rehabilitate Nigeria's 264 abandoned dams to boost irrigation, expand domestic food production, strengthen agricultural value chains, and invest in education, healthcare, and skills development. The party also promised to build an integrated national food economy to reduce food prices and create jobs. "What Nigeria desperately needs is a President and a government that truly understand how the people feel and genuinely care about them," the statement said. "A President whose government is not openly feasting while asking the people to continue fasting".
The ADC's criticism comes amid continuing debate over the Tinubu administration's economic reforms, including the removal of petrol subsidy, exchange-rate liberalisation, and tax policy changes introduced since May 2023. The Federal Government has consistently defended the reforms, arguing that they were necessary to stabilise the economy after years of structural distortions. It has pointed to improvements in public revenue, stronger external reserves, increased investor confidence, and a gradual easing of inflationary pressures as evidence that the measures are beginning to yield results. However, opposition parties, labour unions, and civil society organisations have maintained that the reforms have significantly worsened the living conditions of millions of Nigerians. With the 2027 elections approaching, the ADC's call for the president to resign or reverse course has added to the growing political pressure on the Tinubu administration.
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