The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and opposition leader Atiku Abubakar have criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration over the worsening cost of living and soaring inflation, despite massive increases in government revenues since the removal of the petrol subsidy in May 2023. 

The ADC challenged the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and campaign director-general Senator Abdul’aziz Yari to account for approximately N15.8 trillion in additional revenue generated from subsidy removal and exchange rate reforms between June 2023 and December 2025. The party noted that while monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) distributions have surged past N2 trillion—with state governments receiving N47.25 trillion over three years—ordinary citizens have grown poorer, and food inflation has skyrocketed past 40 percent.

The opposition party dismissed the administration's call for patience as an inadequate economic policy, pointing out that petrol prices have spiked from around N185 to over N1,300 per litre, driving up transport and food costs while promised mass-transit alternatives have failed to materialize on a broad scale. The ADC demanded that the government publish transparent breakdowns of the infrastructure projects funded by these trillions rather than relying on increased borrowing and basic salary payments that fail to cover daily needs.

Atiku Abubakar similarly condemned the ongoing rise in fuel prices—which occurred even as global crude prices declined—describing the Tinubu administration's policies as a direct mechanism for transferring economic pain into family households. He rejected government claims that his proposed alternative policies would be financially unviable, arguing instead that the presidency was deflecting attention from nearly N30 trillion in public revenue that remains unaccounted for.

Furthermore, Atiku criticized the timing of President Tinubu's three-week European vacation starting in late August, labeling it as a sign of leadership detachment and insensitivity while millions of citizens struggle to afford basic transportation and food. Both political figures emphasized that the 2027 general election will ultimately center on which leadership can effectively lower the cost of living, generate jobs, and restore household purchasing power.