The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council has accused the President Bola Tinubu-led government of using its 90-day cost-of-living relief plan to woo voters ahead of the 2027 general elections, arguing that the programme’s timeline extends beyond the presidential poll.
The Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, described the initiative as “election bait,” insisting that Nigerians should judge the administration by its economic record since assuming office in May 2023 rather than promises made months before the election.
In a statement issued after a world press conference at the ADC Secretariat in Abuja on Friday, Shaibu questioned the rationale behind a 90-day intervention when the presidential election was only 86 days away, arguing that the promised relief would outlast the period leading to the poll.
“The arithmetic is plain: the plan ends after Nigerians have voted,” he said. “After three and a half years of hardship, this government is asking families to carry another promise into the polling booth and wait for relief until the votes are counted.”
The National Economic Council had endorsed a 90-day economic action plan proposed by the Federal Ministry of Finance to improve food affordability, harmonise taxes, accelerate the completion of key projects, remove investment bottlenecks, and provide support to households.
The initiative is intended to translate the gains of the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms into tangible benefits for households and businesses. However, Shaibu questioned whether the government could deliver measurable improvements within the proposed period and sustain them beyond its expiration.
“These are the very problems Nigerians have been demanding that this government address since it took office,” he said, citing rising food prices, transportation costs, production expenses, and business closures as evidence of the economic pressure on households and enterprises.
Shaibu argued that the removal of the petrol subsidy had increased the cost of transportation, food, and production, while adequate protection for vulnerable households had not accompanied the policy.
“Tinubu cannot erase three and a half years of hardship with a 90-day announcement,” he added.
He also challenged the government to provide specific details of the proposed interventions, including the projects to be completed, the tax charges to be harmonised, the barriers to investment to be removed, and the criteria for households to benefit from the relief programme.
On household support, Shaibu asked the government to publish the eligibility requirements, budget, payment arrangements, and duration of the intervention.
“Who qualifies? How much will each household receive? When will payments begin, and what happens after day 90?” he asked.
The ADC campaign spokesman also questioned the effectiveness of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s petrol discount promotion, which commenced on October 1 as part of efforts to ease the burden of fuel costs.
Shaibu claimed that he visited NNPC retail stations and was unable to access the advertised discount, adding that he purchased petrol at N1,405 per litre.
“With barely a week left before the offer expires, my experience as a customer was simple: a promise of relief, and a higher price at the pump,” he said.
He challenged the national oil company to disclose the number of motorists who had benefited from the promotion, the participating stations, and the volume of petrol sold at the discounted rate.
He further questioned the reach of the initiative, given that NNPC operates about 900 retail stations in a country with thousands of petrol outlets.
The spokesman also raised concerns over a registration form reportedly circulating under the name “Arise for Tinubu 2027”, which he alleged sought voters’ identification, bank details, and telephone numbers.
He called on the government to clarify whether the registration exercise was connected to the proposed household support programme and explain how the personal information collected would be protected.
“No Nigerian should have to hand over voter or bank details to a political group to receive public relief,” Shaibu stressed.
Turning to Kaduna State, where Tinubu was expected to launch his re-election campaign, Shaibu questioned the President’s response to security incidents and natural disasters that had affected communities in the state.
He recalled the December 3, 2023, military drone strike on civilians attending a Maulud celebration in Tudun Biri, which killed at least 85 people, according to figures cited in his statement.
He also referenced reported civilian deaths from a military airstrike in Giwa in September 2024, abductions in Kajuru, and a kidnapping-related incident in Kachia in September 2025.
Shaibu criticised Tinubu for not personally visiting grieving families after the Tudun Biri incident, saying the President should explain what his administration had done to support victims and prevent further civilian casualties.
“Before asking Kaduna for another mandate, he should explain what has been done for the victims of Tudun Biri, what became of investigations into civilian deaths, and how his government will protect communities still threatened by abduction,” he stated.
He accused the President of giving greater attention to political engagements than to communities affected by insecurity and disasters.
The ADC spokesman maintained that the cost-of-living crisis should be addressed through targeted household assistance, disciplined public spending, lower production and transportation costs, and measures to enable local manufacturers to expand and create jobs.
He said former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, described as the ADC’s presidential aspirant, had pledged to make Nigeria affordable again, contrasting the opposition figure’s proposed approach with the Tinubu administration’s economic policies.
Shaibu urged the government to demonstrate that its reforms were producing tangible benefits for Nigerians, warning against interventions that offered temporary relief without addressing the underlying causes of high living costs.
He concluded by challenging the President to explain whether Nigerians were better off than they were in May 2023 and whether households would still be able to afford food after the 90-day programme expired.
“President Tinubu made life expensive. Atiku Abubakar will make life affordable again,” he said.