“They Let Nigerians Starve for Two Years — Now They Want Applause?” — ADC Says Tinubu’s Reforms Are Desperation for 2027, Not Leadership

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of launching sudden reforms out of political panic rather than genuine leadership or concern for Nigerians. In a strongly worded statement released on July 6, the ADC argued that the government’s recent push to remove obstacles to food security and boost exports is a reaction to the growing momentum of the ADC and a united opposition, not a response to national hardship.

Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary and spokesperson for the broader opposition coalition, directly responded to recent comments by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy. Onanuga had announced plans to dismantle barriers hindering the administration’s ability to ensure food sovereignty and stimulate export. The ADC, however, dismissed this as an admission of failure and political calculation.

According to the statement, the government’s inaction until now suggests deliberate indifference to Nigerians’ suffering, only reversed due to pressure from the rising opposition. “Onanuga didn’t just issue a statement, he issued a confession,” said Abdullahi. “This government had, by design, been sitting on its hands while Nigerians starved. Now, under mounting political pressure, they want applause for doing the bare minimum? This is not reform. This is not leadership.”

The ADC claimed that the Tinubu administration has been “weaponizing poverty” and is now scrambling to manage political optics ahead of the 2027 general elections. The party questioned why the bottlenecks cited by Onanuga were not addressed earlier if they were known obstacles to national progress, arguing that the timing exposes a calculated effort to manipulate public perception.

“This is not a government reacting to an urgent national crisis, it is a political machine managing optics,” the statement continued. “The President is not governing. He is campaigning, two years early, because he knows he’s in trouble. He knows Nigerians have had enough.”

The ADC urged Nigerians to see through what it called “choreographed press releases and sudden awakenings,” insisting that the recent policy announcements are signs of desperation rather than true governance. The party positioned itself as the catalyst for change and the reason for any policy movement seen under the current administration.

The statement concluded with a call to vigilance ahead of 2027, warning that the welfare of the nation must not be sacrificed on the altar of political survival.