African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised Vice-President Kashim Shettima over his claim that President Bola Tinubu saved Nigeria from economic collapse, saying the statement amounted to an indictment of All Progressives Congress (APC) administration under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Gatekeepers News reports that Shettima had on Saturday urged Nigerians to appreciate the difficult economic decisions taken by Tinubu since assuming office, particularly the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of multiple exchange rates.
The vice-president said Nigeria’s economy was “teetering on the verge of collapse” when Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, comparing the situation to “the road to Caracas.” He said the president’s decisions had saved the economy and prevented the country from “falling into pieces.”
Reacting in a statement on Sunday, Kola Ologbondiyan, director of media and publicity of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, said Shettima’s assessment was “self-indicting.”
“Vice President Shettima’s statement is self-indicting. If Nigeria was heading to Caracas under Buhari, it means Buhari and the APC deceived Nigerians for eight years,” Ologbondiyan said.
He questioned why Nigerians should trust Tinubu, who belongs to the same APC, if the country had been heading towards economic collapse during Buhari’s eight-year tenure.
Ologbondiyan also argued that the APC could not distance itself from Buhari’s record while Tinubu had previously defended the former administration and promised to build on its legacy.
“But Nigerians do not know Buhari as an individual; Nigerians know APC,” he said.
The ADC spokesperson further accused the APC of failing Nigerians over its period in federal power, citing challenges including deteriorating roads, inadequate electricity, weakened public institutions and the rising cost of living.
He said ordinary Nigerians were more concerned about food and basic necessities than political narratives.
“Our roads are no longer motorable, there is no electricity, our institutions have collapsed. But what concerns ordinary Nigerians today is food, food and food, not baseless propaganda,” Ologbondiyan said.
The ADC also rejected Shettima’s description of Nigeria as merely being on the road to Caracas, arguing that Nigerians were already experiencing severe economic hardship.
“President Tinubu has not saved Nigeria from collapse; he has pushed the country deeper into economic ruin, marked by unprecedented hunger, hyperinflation, naira devaluation, insecurity, mass unemployment and excruciating cost of living,” Ologbondiyan said.
The exchange comes as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general election, with the ADC positioning itself as an opposition platform against the ruling APC.
Shettima, meanwhile, acknowledged the hardship being experienced by Nigerians but maintained that the government’s economic reforms were necessary and said the administration was rolling out programmes aimed at easing the burden on citizens.
He also announced plans for 10,600 electric tricycles in the North-East, alongside 300 buses and e-taxis, as part of measures intended to reduce transportation difficulties.
