Onanuga’s Hunger Remarks Show Tinubu Detached From Reality, Says ADC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has faulted comments by presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, dismissing widespread reports of hunger and hardship in the country.

The ADC, in a statement on Wednesday by its spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the remarks as evidence of President Bola Tinubu’s growing disconnect from the realities confronting ordinary Nigerians.

The opposition party said Onanuga’s comments reflected the prevailing mindset within the All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration and also reinforced concerns that the government was out of touch with the suffering of citizens.

The ADC said it was “extraordinary” for a senior government official to suggest that the scale of economic hardship being experienced by Nigerians was exaggerated at a time when millions were struggling to meet basic needs.

“Those comments are not merely insensitive; they are a startling admission of how disconnected the APC government has become from the realities of the people it governs,” the party stated.

According to the ADC, the current cost-of-living crisis was the result of what it described as “ill-conceived and poorly executed economic policies” implemented by the Tinubu administration since assuming office.

The party argued that soaring food prices, rising transportation costs and the erosion of household incomes had pushed millions of Nigerians deeper into poverty.

“The truth is that Nigerians are not faking their suffering,” the statement said. “Food prices have soared, transportation costs have multiplied, the value of incomes and savings has been eroded, and millions of Nigerians who were managing before are now trapped in economic distress.”

The ADC further contended that Onanuga’s remarks revealed a government that had become insulated from the daily realities of citizens.

“What makes Mr. Onanuga’s comments particularly troubling is that they reveal a government that has become tragically insular and could no longer do anything differently,” it said.

The opposition party urged the Presidency to engage more directly with Nigerians rather than relying on what it described as perceptions formed within government circles.

“A sensible government does not measure the effects of its policies by merely looking at the people within its immediate circle or driving through paved roads. It must listen to the people in the markets, on the farms, in the classrooms, in the workshops and in the streets,” the statement added.

While acknowledging that the Federal Government often cites infrastructure development as a major achievement, the ADC argued that such projects had failed to address the immediate economic challenges facing citizens.

“Nigerians cannot eat roads,” the party declared, insisting that the government should be judged by its ability to create conditions that enable citizens to afford food, secure jobs and run viable businesses.

The ADC maintained that after three years in office, living conditions had deteriorated for many Nigerians and called on the administration to acknowledge the impact of its policies.

“The question is no longer whether Nigerians are suffering; Nigerians already know that they are,” the party said. “The real question is whether this government is prepared to acknowledge the consequences of its policies and accept responsibility for its historic failures.”

It warned that comments such as those made by Onanuga would only deepen public perceptions that the government was unwilling to confront the economic difficulties facing the country.