Onanuga’s ‘no hunger’ comment shows Tinubu govt is out of touch, ADC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has sharply criticized the administration of President Bola Tinubu, accusing it of being disconnected from the realities faced by ordinary Nigerians. The opposition party's remarks followed comments by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, who stated he did not perceive the level of hunger and hardship widely reported across the country.

“

Those comments are not merely insensitive; they are a startling admission of how disconnected the APC government has become from the realities of the people it governs.

In a statement, the ADC's National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described Onanuga's remarks as insensitive and indicative of the current administration's detachment. The party argued that the hardship is evident and not exaggerated, pointing out that over 80 percent of Nigerians struggle with basic needs like feeding, education, transportation, and business sustenance. Abdullahi stated that it is extraordinary for a senior presidential spokesman to suggest the hardship is overstated or contrived.

“

When over 80 per cent of Nigerians are struggling to feed their families, pay school fees, afford transportation and keep their businesses alive, it is extraordinary that a senior presidential spokesman can publicly suggest that the hardship is somehow overstated or even contrived.

The ADC attributed the nation's economic challenges to "ill-conceived and poorly executed economic policies" implemented by the Tinubu government since May 2023. The party asserted that these policies have plunged millions more into acute poverty. Soaring food prices, rising transportation costs, declining purchasing power, and worsening poverty have become daily realities for many households, which the ADC stressed is not propaganda but the lived experience of citizens nationwide.

“

The truth is that Nigerians are not faking their suffering. The unprecedented cost-of-living crisis confronting the country today is the direct result of the ill-conceived and poorly executed economic policies of the Tinubu administration, which have thrown millions more into acute poverty since this government came to power.

Abdullahi further argued that the spokesman's comments reveal a government insulated from realities outside official circles. He advised that a sensible government should gauge policy impacts by listening to people in markets, farms, classrooms, workshops, and streets, rather than solely observing those within official circles or driving on paved roads. The party believes the presidency needs to actively listen to the populace to understand the true extent of suffering.

“

A sensible government does not measure the effects of its policies by merely looking at the people within its immediate circle or driving through paved roads. It must listen to the people in the markets, on the farms, in the classrooms, in the workshops and in the streets.