African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate and previous Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described President Bola Tinubu’s 90-day cost-of-living reduction plan as a rip-off and election bait, announcing its time limit falls after Nigerians would have voted.
Addressing an international press convention on the ADC Secretariat on Friday, Atiku’s media aide, Phrank Shaibu, who may be Director of Strategic Verbal exchange of the ADC Presidential Marketing campaign Council, mentioned the timing of the plan uncovered its political cause.
“The presidential election is 86 days away. But President Bola Tinubu’s Nationwide Financial Council has introduced a cost-of-living plan that may run for 90 days.
“The mathematics is apparent: the plan ends after Nigerians have voted. After 3 and a part years of hardship, this executive is calling households to hold every other promise into the polling sales space and stay up for reduction till the votes are counted.
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“That is election bait. Tinubu is providing hungry Nigerians the promise of inexpensive meals, however the promised reduction comes with a time limit that outlasts the election. The message is modest: vote first; reduction later. Nigerians must refuse the bait and pass judgement on this executive via the 3 and a part years they’ve already lived thru,” Shaibu mentioned.
He mentioned the plan lists 5 priorities: meals affordability, tax harmonisation, crowning glory of essential tasks, removing of funding bottlenecks and family make stronger, however famous that those are the very issues Nigerians have demanded the federal government deal with because it took place of business.
“Households have reduce foods. Employees spend extra in their wages attending to paintings. Producers combat to supply, and companies have closed. Tinubu can’t erase 3 and a part years of hardship with a 90-day announcement.
“When he got rid of the petrol subsidy, the have an effect on on shipping, meals and manufacturing prices was once predictable. Coverage for inclined families must have come along that call. As an alternative, the federal government imposed the prices instantly and left Nigerians to stay up for the advantages. Now, after years of hardship, it has unexpectedly found out that individuals want inexpensive meals.
“A central authority can’t put a 90-day time limit on starvation, the cost-of-living disaster and lack of confidence and get in touch with it an financial coverage,” he mentioned.
Shaibu, who spoke for Atiku, additionally faulted Tinubu’s deliberate talk over with to Kaduna to release his re-election marketing campaign, recalling the tragedies the state has persisted underneath his presidency.
“On 3 December 2023, an Military drone struck civilians accrued for a Maulud birthday celebration in Tudun Biri. A minimum of 85 other people have been killed. Tinubu despatched his Vice President to talk over with survivors; he didn’t move himself to sit down with households mourning their useless.
“In September 2024, citizens of Giwa reported that every other army airstrike killed no less than 24 civilians. Households in Kajuru have buried family members and looked for kinfolk kidnapped via bandits. In September 2025, an assault involving kidnapping in Kachia affected 152 other people; 8 deaths and 9 accidents have been recorded.
“Kaduna has additionally suffered devastating storms and floods. In July 2025, windstorms and rain affected 6,172 other people and broken masses of shelters throughout 5 native executive spaces. In September, flooding in Zaria affected 476 other people and left dozens injured.
“When households have been burying their useless, looking for their kids and clearing wreckage from their properties, Kaduna wanted the eye of its President. But the Presidency’s account of Tinubu’s September 2025 talk over with indexed a marriage and a courtesy name. Now, with an election drawing near, he’s returning to release a marketing campaign.
“Tinubu can in finding his technique to Kaduna for a marriage. He can in finding his manner there for votes. Why was once he absent when grieving households wanted their President?
“He should no longer flip the ones households right into a backdrop for a marketing campaign birthday celebration. Ahead of asking Kaduna for every other mandate, he must provide an explanation for what has been finished for the sufferers of Tudun Biri, what turned into of investigations into civilian deaths and the way his executive will give protection to communities nonetheless threatened via abduction,” he mentioned.
Shaibu mentioned the similar development of grand bulletins and little reduction was once glaring within the executive’s gasoline promotion.
“NNPC started a petroleum bargain promotion on 1 October, which the federal government later introduced as a part of its reduction effort. I visited NNPC Retail stations myself. Attendants informed me there was once no bargain, and I purchased petrol at ₦1,405 according to litre.
“With slightly per week left prior to the be offering expires, my enjoy as a buyer was once easy: a promise of reduction, and the next worth on the pump. If NNPC says motorists can get entry to a bargain thru an app, it should provide an explanation for why consumers arriving at its stations have been informed there was once none. What number of consumers won the bargain? At which stations? What number of litres have been offered on the decreased worth? Submit the figures.
“NNPC has about 900 retail stations in a rustic the place Nigerians purchase petrol from hundreds of retailers. What achieve can a ₦66-per-litre promotion have when it’s confined to that community? And what lasting reduction does ₦66 be offering households whose shipping and meals expenses stay top?
“Tinubu declares reduction at a podium. Nigerians arrive on the pump and pay extra. Now his executive expects the rustic to believe every other announcement, this time with a 90-day time limit,” he mentioned.
He mentioned the timing was once inconceivable to forget about, noting that Atiku Abubakar has made the cost-of-living disaster central to his marketing campaign and pledged to make Nigeria inexpensive once more.
“Tinubu’s executive is attempting to suitable that message with a plan that runs throughout the election. Nigerians must no longer business 3 and a part years of lived hardship for 3 months of guarantees,” Shaibu mentioned.
The ADC marketing campaign demanded solutions at the executive’s 5 priorities:
“Meals affordability: Which prices will fall for farmers, transporters and investors? When will households see decrease costs out there, and what is going to stay meals inexpensive after 90 days?
“Tax harmonisation: Which fees might be got rid of or mixed, and when? The federal government should submit the overall tax time table and provide an explanation for whether or not nowadays’s promise of reduction might be adopted via upper fees after the election.
“Necessary tasks: Which tasks might be finished inside of 90 days? The place are they, how a lot is still paid, and when will the general public be capable of use them? A undertaking is entire when it serves other people, no longer when it’s marked entire on a central authority dashboard.
“Funding bottlenecks: Which limitations will the federal government take away in 90 days? Producers want dependable energy, workable shipping prices and get entry to to inexpensive finance. Companies can’t reopen, make investments or rent at the energy of a press unencumber.
“Family make stronger: Who qualifies? How a lot will every family obtain? When will bills start, and what occurs after day 90? Submit the eligibility laws, the finances and the cost way.”
Shaibu additionally raised fear over a registration shape being disbursed underneath the title “Rise up for Tinubu 2027,” which asks for voter id, financial institution main points and speak to numbers.
“Who’s amassing this delicate non-public data, how will or not it’s used, and is the workout hooked up to the family make stronger the federal government has introduced?
“No Nigerian must have at hand over voter or financial institution main points to a political staff to obtain public reduction. The federal government should state obviously whether or not this registration workout is hooked up to any publicly funded programme. If it’s not, it should provide an explanation for how it is going to save you family make stronger from getting used to recruit citizens or gather their information,” he mentioned.
He mentioned Nigerians have carried the load of the federal government’s reforms and feature each proper to call for evidence that the promised advantages will achieve them and proceed after election day.
“Folks don’t reject reform as a result of they fail to realize it. They reject being informed to sacrifice nowadays for reduction that by no means arrives — or arrives with an expiry date.
“Atiku Abubakar has pledged to make Nigeria inexpensive once more thru disciplined public spending, focused reduction for families, decrease prices of manufacturing and transferring very important items, and an financial system the place Nigerian producers can increase and make use of extra other people. Financial coverage must be judged via what households can manage to pay for, no longer via what number of closing dates a central authority declares.
“Tinubu should resolution two questions: Are Nigerians at an advantage than they have been in Would possibly 2023? And can they nonetheless be capable of manage to pay for meals on day 91 of his plan?
“Till he can resolution each, Nigerians have each reason why to peer this 90-day workout for what it’s: a political timetable dressed up as financial reduction.
“President Tinubu made lifestyles pricey. Atiku Abubakar will make lifestyles inexpensive once more.”
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