The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Federal Government of using its proposed N50,000 monthly cash transfers to vulnerable Nigerians as an election gimmick to regain public support ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made the allegation in a statement on Saturday, describing the initiative as a desperate attempt to deceive Nigerians amid the worsening economic situation.
The Federal Government had on Friday announced plans to provide N50,000 monthly to selected vulnerable households under the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI).
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Doro, said the initiative was designed to cushion the effects of rising living costs on low-income households.
However, reacting to the announcement, Abdullahi said the timing of the intervention suggested that President Bola Tinubu was becoming increasingly anxious about the 2027 elections.
He alleged that the government had resorted to announcing different relief packages following the growing popularity of the ADC and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who have made the rising cost of living a major focus of their campaign.
According to him, previous government announcements, including a $1 billion Renewed Hope Social Intervention Fund, a 30-day fuel discount, cheaper transportation from October 1 and a N70,000 transportation allowance for workers, had failed to deliver the expected relief to Nigerians.
The ADC spokesman described the latest N50,000 proposal as another attempt by the administration to convince Nigerians that it was addressing their economic hardship.
He also questioned the value of the proposed payment, arguing that N50,000 was inadequate to meet the basic needs of an average Nigerian household given the sharp increase in food, transportation, fuel and healthcare costs.
Abdullahi further challenged the government to explain why the financial assistance was not included in its economic reform plans from the beginning if it had the resources to support vulnerable citizens.
He said the announcement appeared to be an election-season intervention rather than part of a comprehensive strategy to address poverty and economic hardship.
The party also raised concerns about the accountability of previous cash transfer programmes, citing a recent Auditor-General’s report which reportedly found insufficient evidence that N33.75 billion allocated to 3.29 million vulnerable households in 2023 reached the intended beneficiaries.
Abdullahi questioned why the government was introducing another cash transfer scheme without first addressing the alleged irregularities associated with the previous programme.
He warned that the latest initiative could become another channel for diverting public funds under the cover of poverty alleviation.
The ADC spokesperson insisted that Nigerians needed sustainable economic relief rather than temporary financial handouts, arguing that the government should prioritise restoring purchasing power and reducing the cost of food, energy and transportation.
He maintained that meaningful improvement in the living conditions of Nigerians would depend on policies capable of bringing down the cost of living rather than what he described as politically motivated interventions.
