By Adegboyega Adeleye
The Deputy Director-General, Media and Communications of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential campaign, Dele Momodu, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of using economic statistics to mislead Nigerians, alleging that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is fighting criticism from international institutions while struggling to win public confidence ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Momodu, who is backing ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, made the remarks on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, while questioning the government’s presentation of economic figures and the credibility of the electoral process.
“I saw the speech of an Emir in the North, I wish we had a lot of time, I would have read it to you. They were told the brutal truth that you should never lie to the people. What the APC is doing today is to use those statistics to tell lies and to say The World Bank are for us, The IMF are for us,” he said.
He accused the government of attacking international institutions when their assessments raise concerns about Nigeria’s economic direction and borrowing.
“Whenever the World Bank says, oh, we are worried about the direction you are going, the loans you’re taking is becoming horrendous, then they fight the World Bank.
“If the Economist comes and writes and says, oh, the direction Nigeria is going, we know you are likely to force your way in to win the election, they will fight The Economist. So they are fighting on all fronts,” Momodu said.
Momodu questions INEC over voter register
The ADC chieftain also questioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), arguing that the commission should publish the voters’ register to enable Nigerians to scrutinise the electoral process.
He said the figures being cited for registered voters and party membership raised questions about the relationship between party strength and the wider electorate.
“For INEC just to do a simple job is obligatory. Publish the voters’ register. Now they say we have 103 million registered voters. Fantastic. Yesterday, I saw your guest, a senator of APC, boasting, we have 12 million registered members of our party. And the next party has maybe about 4 million registered voters.
“But INEC is telling us we have 103 million registered voters. So tell me, will 12 million people override the will and wishes of 103 million people?” he asked.
Momodu argued that Nigerians who were not firmly aligned with any political party could play a decisive role in the election, describing them as the “floaters party”.
“What that tells you immediately is that the largest political party in Nigeria, it’s not APC, it’s not ADC, it is the floaters party and the floaters are the ones crying today that their lives are in a big mess,” he said.
‘Hunger’ can defeat Tinubu
Momodu also blamed a lack of sincerity within the government for what he described as shortcomings in economic management, arguing that officials were not giving the president the full picture.
“What is lacking in this government is that sincerity. Everything is about one man. The people who are running our economy today have to tell Nigerians only what they think the president wants to hear. They are not telling him the truth, and when tomorrow comes, he will realise it, it’s just that it may be too late,” he said.
Asked how the opposition could defeat Tinubu in 2027, Momodu argued that economic hardship could prove decisive regardless of the ruling party’s political support.
“There is no permutation that will beat hunger. That is the truth. Bola Tinubu can bring all the governors in the world, and I just told you we saw it in Osun…” he said.
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