ADC Challenges Tinubu Campaign Over Alleged N15.8trn Subsidy Windfall

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has challenged the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign leadership to account for the N15.8 trillion it claimed was generated from fuel subsidy removal and foreign-exchange reforms.

The party directed the challenge at the Director-General of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign, Senator Abdul’aziz Yari, asking him to explain what Nigerians gained from the alleged windfall before dismissing opposition promises of economic relief as a “lie.”

Yari had, during a party engagement at the weekend, dismissed promises of economic relief by the ADC as “a lie.”

But in a statement on Sunday, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said Yari’s comments were significant because he was speaking not only as an APC senator but also as the person responsible for persuading Nigerians to re-elect President Tinubu.

“If the message of the President’s re-election campaign is that Nigerians must accept today’s hardship as permanent and anyone promising relief is a liar, then Nigerians must be seriously concerned,” the ADC said.

The party said figures attributed to the Minister of Finance indicated that the removal of petrol subsidy and foreign-exchange reforms generated about N15.8 trillion in additional resources for the Federation between June 2023 and December 2025.

According to the ADC, N5.4 trillion went to the Federal Government, another N5.4 trillion to the states, while N3.9 trillion accrued to local governments.

“States alone reportedly received N47.25 trillion in FAAC allocations between 2023 and 2025, rising from N10.09 trillion in 2023 to N15.26 trillion in 2024 and N21.90 trillion in 2025.

“Monthly FAAC distributions have since crossed N2 trillion, compared with less than N1 trillion around the period before subsidy removal. Yet, while government revenues soared, Nigerians became poorer,” the party said.

The ADC recalled that petrol prices rose from about N185 per litre in May 2023 to more than N1,300 in many parts of the country by August 2025, while food inflation exceeded 40 per cent at some points during the period.

It added that transport costs had also surged, while the promised Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) mass-transit alternative had yet to reach Nigerians on the scale required.

“The contradiction is impossible to ignore. The government is counting trillions while Nigerian families are counting the meals they can afford. If governments are receiving substantially more money, why are Nigerians getting substantially less food to eat?” the party asked.

The opposition party challenged Yari and the APC to account for the additional revenue before asking Nigerians to give the Tinubu administration another four years.

“Before asking Nigerians for four more years, Senator Yari and the APC must answer one question: after N15.8 trillion in additional resources, record FAAC allocations and three years of unprecedented sacrifice, are Nigerians better off?” it said.

The ADC also questioned the borrowing by state governments despite increased federal allocations.
“About 20 states reportedly borrowed N458 billion in 2025 despite the surge in FAAC receipts,” the party said.
It challenged the government to publish details of projects funded with the increased revenues.

“After N47.25 trillion to states in three years, Nigerians have a right to ask: where are the results? If states received an additional N5.4 trillion from the reforms, let the government publish the projects. Show Nigerians the schools, hospitals, roads, and mass-transit systems that their sacrifice paid for,” the party said.

The ADC described it as “disgraceful” the fact that, in its view, the APC administration had little to show for the increased revenues beyond payment of workers’ salaries, which it said could no longer guarantee food on the table.

“Meanwhile, budgets remain unimplemented, local contractors remain unpaid, major public roads remain terrible, and Nigeria became one of the most dangerous places to live in, and home to the highest number of poor people on earth.

“The big lie is in the government telling Nigerians that its reforms are working while driving the country towards certain destruction,” the party said.

The ADC also questioned why the Tinubu administration had taken more than three years to begin planning measures to reduce transportation costs.

“If Senator Yari says subsidy can never return, then he must tell Nigerians what the President’s campaign is offering instead. What is the plan to dramatically reduce petrol prices and bring down food and transportation costs before 2027? ‘Endure’ is not an economic policy,” it said.

The party clarified that it was not advocating a return to the corruption and opacity associated with the former subsidy regime, saying its alternative would prioritise domestic refining and targeted, transparent support aimed at lowering fuel prices and reducing the cost of living.

“The 2027 election will not be about who shouted ‘liar’ the loudest. It will be about who can put food on Nigerians’ tables, create jobs, provide security, and reduce the cost of living.

“Nigerians have sacrificed enough. They need a break,” the party added.