APC Accuses ADC of Misleading Nigerians Over Poverty Figures

By Zainab Uzomah|Abuja

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) of misleading the public over recent claims about rising poverty levels in the country.

In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja, the APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said the opposition party had misrepresented a report discussed at an Agora Policy dialogue which indicated that Nigeria’s poverty rate had risen from 49% to 63%.

Mr Morka said the ADC’s interpretation of the report ignored the broader context of economic reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration, including the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of foreign exchange rates.

According to him, the reforms were necessary to address long-standing structural problems in the economy and prevent what he described as a growing threat to Nigeria’s economic stability before the current administration took office in May 2023.

The APC spokesperson argued that the fuel subsidy system had placed a heavy burden on government finances for decades, consuming large amounts of public revenue while benefiting middlemen and encouraging fuel smuggling.

He added that funds previously spent on subsidies are now being redirected to sectors such as infrastructure, education and healthcare.

Mr Morka also said the government had introduced social support measures, including cash transfers, student loan schemes and initiatives promoting compressed natural gas(CNG), to cushion the impact of economic reforms on vulnerable households.

The APC maintained that despite the short-term hardship caused by the reforms, the economy was showing signs of recovery, citing growth in gross domestic product, increased foreign reserves and a rise in non-oil exports.

The party said the government would continue pursuing economic reforms aimed at building a stronger and more resilient economy.