Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesperson for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has criticised Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesman, for claiming he did not see the hunger many Nigerians report. Mr Abdullahi said the comment revealed a deep disconnect between the Tinubu administration and the economic struggles of ordinary citizens. He cited that over 80% of Nigerians are currently struggling to feed their families, pay school fees, afford transportation, and sustain businesses. Food prices have surged, transport costs have risen sharply, and incomes have lost value, pushing millions into economic distress, according to Mr Abdullahi.
Mr Abdullahi responded to Mr Onanuga's remarks made during an appearance on ARISE TV on Tuesday, where the presidential spokesman said a trip from Lagos to Oyo State for a burial made him aware of insecurity. However, Mr Abdullahi argued that such limited observations do not reflect the broader hardship faced nationwide. He said the government cannot assess policy impact by driving on paved roads or observing only elite circles. The lived reality, he stressed, is found in markets, farms, classrooms, and streets where hunger and hardship are daily experiences.
The ADC spokesman dismissed the idea that road projects justify economic pain, stating that Nigerians cannot eat roads. He maintained that the Tinubu administration has failed a fundamental test of governance, with 62% of Nigerians now worse off than when the government took office. Leadership, Mr Abdullahi said, begins with honesty, and the question is no longer whether people are suffering — they already know they are. He concluded that such comments from government officials deepen public perception of an out-of-touch administration unwilling to acknowledge the damage caused by its economic policies.
Bolaji Abdullahi highlights that Bayo Onanuga claims not to see the hunger affecting over 80% of Nigerians while acknowledging insecurity from a single trip. The government measures reality through elite experiences while ordinary citizens face rising food prices, transport costs and collapsing incomes. Nigerians in markets, farms and classrooms live a truth the presidency appears unable or unwilling to see. This gap between official narrative and daily survival deepens public distrust in the administration's economic claims.
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