Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) have knocked the government’s 90-day cost-of-living reduction plan, describing it as election bait and a determined try to placate Nigerians after years of hardship.
Addressing an international press convention on the ADC Secretariat in Abuja the day before today, Phrank Shaibu, the director of strategic communique of the ADC presidential marketing campaign council, stated the plan’s time limit falls after Nigerians would have voted.
“The presidential election is 86 days away. But President Bola Tinubu’s Nationwide Financial Council has introduced a cost-of-living plan that can 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 looking households to hold every other promise into the polling sales space and look ahead to reduction till the votes are counted.
“That is election bait. Tinubu is providing hungry Nigerians the promise of reasonably priced 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 by means of the 3 and a part years they’ve already lived thru,” Shaibu stated.
The plan, proposed by means of the Federal Ministry of Finance and recommended on Thursday all through the 161st assembly of the Nationwide Financial Council chaired nearly by means of Vice President Kashim Shettima, lists 5 priorities: meals affordability, tax harmonisation, finishing touch of necessary initiatives, removing of funding bottlenecks and family enhance.
Shaibu stated the ones are the very issues Nigerians have demanded the federal government cope 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 affect on shipping, meals and manufacturing prices was once predictable. Coverage for prone families must have come along that call. As a substitute, the federal government imposed the prices instantly and left Nigerians to look ahead to the advantages. Now, after years of hardship, it has all of sudden came upon that individuals want reasonably priced meals.
“A central authority can’t put a 90-day time limit on starvation, the cost-of-living disaster and lack of confidence and speak to it an financial coverage,” he stated.
Additionally reacting, the Nationwide Exposure Secretary of the NDC, Osa Director, stated President Tinubu had resorted to placating Nigerians after his insurance policies introduced them uncertainties.
In an interview with LEADERSHIP, Director stated: “It’s visual to the blind and audible to the deaf that the amorphous financial insurance policies of the Tinubu-led management have failed.
“They have got now resorted to determined measures to placate the folks. However sadly for them, Nigerians are wiser and will see throughout the smokescreen.”
Shaibu additionally faulted Tinubu’s deliberate discuss with to Kaduna to release his re-election marketing campaign, recalling the tragedies the state has persevered underneath his presidency.
“On 3 December 2023, an Military drone struck civilians accrued for a Maulud birthday party in Tudun Biri. No less than 85 folks have been killed. Tinubu despatched his Vice President to discuss with survivors; he didn’t pass himself to sit down with households mourning their useless.
“In September 2024, citizens of Giwa reported that every other army airstrike killed a minimum of 24 civilians. Households in Kajuru have buried family members and looked for relations kidnapped by means of bandits. In September 2025, an assault involving kidnapping in Kachia affected 152 folks; 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 folks and broken loads of shelters throughout 5 native executive spaces. In September, flooding in Zaria affected 476 folks and left dozens injured.
“When households have been burying their useless, on the lookout 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 discuss with indexed a marriage and a courtesy name. Now, with an election drawing near, he’s returning to release a marketing campaign.
“Tinubu can to find his strategy to Kaduna for a marriage. He can to find his manner there for votes. Why was once he absent when grieving households wanted their President?
“He will have to now not flip the ones households right into a backdrop for a marketing campaign birthday party. Prior to asking Kaduna for every other mandate, he must give an explanation for what has been finished for the sufferers of Tudun Biri, what changed into of investigations into civilian deaths and the way his executive will offer protection to communities nonetheless threatened by means of abduction,” he stated.
Shaibu stated the similar trend of grand bulletins and little reduction was once obtrusive within the executive’s gas promotion.
“NNPC started a petroleum cut price 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 cut price, and I purchased petrol at ₦1,405 according to litre.
“With slightly every week left ahead of the be offering expires, my enjoy as a buyer was once easy: a promise of reduction, and the next value on the pump. If NNPC says motorists can get right of entry to a cut price thru an app, it will have to give an explanation for why consumers arriving at its stations have been informed there was once none. What number of consumers gained the bargain? At which stations? What number of litres have been offered on the decreased value? Post the figures.
“NNPC has about 900 retail stations in a rustic the place Nigerians purchase petrol from hundreds of shops. What succeed in 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 broadcasts reduction at a podium. Nigerians arrive on the pump and pay extra. Now his executive expects the rustic to agree with every other announcement, this time with a 90-day time limit,” he stated.
He stated 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 reasonably priced once more.
“Tinubu’s executive is attempting to acceptable that message with a plan that runs throughout the election. Nigerians must now not industry 3 and a part years of lived hardship for 3 months of guarantees,” Shaibu stated.
The ADC marketing campaign demanded solutions at the executive’s 5 priorities:
“Meals affordability: Which prices will fall for farmers, transporters and buyers? When will households see decrease costs available in the market, and what’s going to stay meals reasonably priced after 90 days?
“Tax harmonisation: Which fees might be got rid of or blended, and when? The federal government will have to submit the whole tax agenda and give an explanation for whether or not nowadays’s promise of reduction might be adopted by means of upper fees after the election.
“Vital initiatives: Which initiatives might be finished inside 90 days? The place are they, how a lot is still paid, and when will the general public have the ability to use them? A venture is whole when it serves folks, now not when it’s marked whole 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 right of entry to to reasonably priced finance. Companies can’t reopen, make investments or rent at the power of a press free up.
“Family enhance: Who qualifies? How a lot will each and every family obtain? When will bills start, and what occurs after day 90? Post the eligibility laws, the finances and the fee way.”
Shaibu additionally raised worry over a registration shape being dispensed underneath the identify “Get up for Tinubu 2027,” which asks for voter id, financial institution main points and contact numbers.
“Who’s amassing this delicate private knowledge, how will it’s used, and is the workout attached to the family enhance the federal government has introduced?
“No Nigerian must have handy over voter or financial institution main points to a political crew to obtain public reduction. The federal government will have to state obviously whether or not this registration workout is hooked up to any publicly funded programme. If it’s not, it will have to give an explanation for how it’s going to save you family enhance from getting used to recruit citizens or accumulate their information,” he stated.
He stated Nigerians have carried the load of the federal government’s reforms and feature each proper to call for evidence that the promised advantages will succeed in them and proceed after election day.
“Other people don’t reject reform as a result of they fail to know 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 reasonably priced once more thru disciplined public spending, focused reduction for families, decrease prices of manufacturing and shifting very important items, and an financial system the place Nigerian producers can extend and make use of extra folks. Financial coverage must be judged by means of what households can have enough money, now not by means of what number of points in time a central authority broadcasts.
“Tinubu will have to solution two questions: Are Nigerians than they have been in Might 2023? And can they nonetheless have the ability to have enough money meals on day 91 of his plan?
“Till he can solution 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 dear. Atiku Abubakar will make lifestyles reasonably priced once more.”
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