The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the Federal Government’s N50,000 monthly cash transfer programme for vulnerable Nigerians.
It described the move as an election gimmick driven by President Bola Tinubu’s desperation to regain public support.
This was just as the party further accused the administration of using the intervention to respond to its campaign promise to reduce the cost of living and make life more affordable for Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general election.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC questioned the timing of the announcement, arguing that the government had failed to address the economic hardship caused by its policies.
Abdullahi said the Tinubu administration had announced several interventions in response to the opposition party’s focus on affordability but had failed to deliver on previous promises.
“President Tinubu is in full panic mode now. Since the ADC and our Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, have made affordability and reducing the cost of living the cardinal focus of our campaign, the government has been announcing one desperate intervention or another.
“In August, they announced a $1 billion so-called ‘Renewed Hope Social Intervention Fund’. But it was only an announcement, nothing more. Then, they announced a 30-day fuel discount, which made no sense. Then they announced the so-called cheaper transportation by October 1 across the states. Again, nothing happened.
“They have also announced a N70,000 transportation allowance to workers. Now, it is N50,000 for everyone. They are just thrashing around, hoping that something would stick,” he said.
The ADC also questioned the purchasing power of the proposed N50,000 monthly stipend, arguing that the amount would provide little relief to households struggling with rising food, transportation and healthcare costs.
“What exactly is N50,000 supposed to buy in Tinubu’s Nigeria today? How much food can a family purchase with that amount? How much transport can it cover? And for how long?
“Petrol prices have risen roughly sevenfold. Food and transportation costs have followed, not to talk of the cost of basic drugs. It is just a desperate and cynical attempt to buy back the goodwill of the people. But it is too little, too late,” the party said.
The opposition party further accused the Tinubu administration of mismanaging its economic reforms, insisting that the government had ignored repeated warnings about the hardship its policies would impose on Nigerians.
It argued that the cash transfer should have been incorporated into the government’s economic reform plans from the beginning rather than introduced as an election-season intervention.
“They mismanaged their own economic reforms. Everyone warned them that what they were doing and how they were doing it would only make life difficult for the people. Their only reaction for three years was to tell the people to continue to endure.
“If they could give N50,000 to vulnerable Nigerians, why didn’t they factor it into reform plans from day one rather than make it an election-season handout?
“It’s either they didn’t think of it, which makes them dangerously incompetent, or they simply chose to leave the people to suffer and wait for the election to throw them crumbs, which makes them dangerously wicked.”
The ADC also raised concerns about transparency and accountability in the implementation of government intervention programmes, warning that the new initiative could provide another opportunity for the diversion of public funds.
It cited findings by the Auditor-General concerning previous cash transfer programmes, questioning whether those responsible for the alleged financial irregularities had been held accountable.
“What has happened to the findings of the Auditor-General concerning the billions of naira in previous cash transfers that could not be properly accounted for? Have those responsible been held accountable?
“How can a government that has failed to explain what happened to its previous intervention funds expect Nigerians to trust it with another programme involving billions of naira?”
CityNews Nigeria reports that the Federal Government had earlier announced the commencement of a N50,000 monthly cash relief programme for vulnerable Nigerians under the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI).
The initiative, announced by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, is designed to provide immediate financial assistance to beneficiaries to help them meet essential needs and cope with the rising cost of living.
