ADC to Tinubu Govt: Okonjo-Iweala Warned of Hardship — Stop Hiding Behind ‘Stability’

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Federal Government of cherry-picking comments from World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to score political points, while ignoring her pointed warning about the worsening hardship facing Nigerians.

In a statement signed by National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said government officials and their media allies had hyped Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s commendation that the economy had been “stabilized” under President Tinubu, but ignored her more urgent call for job creation, economic growth, and social safety nets for the poor and vulnerable.

“Economic stability that leaves the majority in grinding poverty is meaningless,” Abdullahi said, stressing that the WTO chief’s message was being deliberately misrepresented.

The ADC argued that the substance of Okonjo-Iweala’s remarks pointed to a sluggish economy where “jobs are not being created and too many people are suffering” as a direct result of recent policy decisions — including fuel subsidy removal, naira devaluation, and tariff hikes on electricity and transport.

According to the party, official statistics expose the gap between government rhetoric and reality: GDP growth was 3.13% in Q1 2025 and just over 3% in Q2, well below the robust rebound promised. Inflation remains high at 22.22%, with food inflation at 21.97%. Petrol prices now average ₦1,037.66 per litre, while the naira trades at around ₦1,530 to the dollar — a sharp depreciation from ₦460 before the reforms — eroding purchasing power across households and businesses.

The statement added that Okonjo-Iweala had diplomatically prefaced her remarks with praise for “stabilizing the economy,” but swiftly underlined the urgency of growing the economy to create jobs and “put money in people’s pockets.”

The ADC said her recent social media clarification — that hardship from Tinubu’s reforms makes support programs for the poor “very important” — confirms that her real message was about alleviating suffering, not offering the government a free pass.

“Every well-meaning Nigerian knows that celebrating the mere appearance of stability is pyrrhic and dangerous,” the ADC said, urging the administration to act on Okonjo-Iweala’s call for policies that address “the daily harsh realities of millions of Nigerians under the APC.”