The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential campaign has accused President Bola Tinubu of using his administration’s 90-day cost-of-living relief plan to influence voters ahead of the 2027 election, arguing that the programme’s timeline extends beyond polling day.
The accusation was made on Friday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council and spokesperson for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, during a press conference at the party’s secretariat.
Shaibu questioned why the government had introduced a 90-day plan when, according to him, the presidential election was 86 days away. He argued that Nigerians would be asked to vote before the promised relief had run its course.
He described the initiative as “election bait” and said the government should be judged on the economic conditions Nigerians had experienced since Tinubu took office.
The National Economic Council’s plan identifies five priority areas: food affordability, tax harmonisation, completion of key projects, removal of obstacles to investment and support for households.
Shaibu challenged the government to provide measurable targets for each area, including details of proposed food-price reductions, changes to taxes, projects scheduled for completion, investment barriers to be removed and the households eligible for assistance.
He also demanded publication of the relief programme’s budget, payment arrangements, eligibility criteria and plans for what would happen after the 90-day period.
The ADC campaign linked the announcement to the effects of the removal of petrol subsidy, arguing that higher transport, food and production costs were imposed before adequate protection for vulnerable households was put in place.
Shaibu also criticised a petrol discount promotion by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), saying his visit to its retail stations had not resulted in a discounted purchase.
He said he bought petrol at N1,405 per litre after attendants told him no discount was available. He called on the company to publish figures showing how many motorists had benefited, which stations offered the reduction and the volume of fuel sold at discounted prices.
Questioning the reach of the promotion, he noted that NNPC operated about 900 retail stations nationwide and asked whether a N66-per-litre reduction could provide meaningful relief across a country with thousands of petrol outlets.
Shaibu further raised concerns about a registration form circulating under the name “Arise for Tinubu 2027”, which he said requested voter identification, bank details and phone numbers.
He asked who was collecting the information, how it would be used and whether the exercise was linked to the government’s household-support programme. He urged the authorities to clarify the relationship, if any, between the registration drive and publicly funded relief.
The ADC campaign also questioned Tinubu’s record on security and disaster response in Kaduna State, where the President was expected to launch his re-election campaign.
Shaibu cited the December 2023 military drone strike on a Maulud gathering in Tudun Biri, which killed at least 85 people, and a reported September 2024 airstrike in Giwa that killed at least 24 civilians. He also referred to reported abductions and fatalities in Kachia in September 2025, alongside storms and flooding that affected communities in the state.
He criticised Tinubu for not personally visiting bereaved families after the Tudun Biri incident and questioned the attention given to affected communities compared with the President’s political engagements.
The campaign demanded explanations on investigations into civilian deaths and measures to protect communities facing abductions.
Shaibu said Atiku’s proposed approach to the cost-of-living crisis would focus on disciplined public spending, targeted household assistance, lower costs of producing and transporting essential goods, and support for domestic manufacturers.
He challenged the President to explain whether Nigerians were better off than they were in May 2023 and whether households would still be able to afford food after the relief plan expired.
The Federal Government’s five-point initiative is now facing scrutiny from the opposition over its implementation timetable, funding, reach and the extent to which its benefits can be measured before and after the election.
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