‘Election gimmick’ — ADC faults FG’s N50,000 cash transfers, says Tinubu in ‘full panic mode’

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has described the federal government’s N50,000 monthly cash transfers to vulnerable Nigerians as an election gimmick ahead of the 2027 polls.

In a statement on Saturday, Bolaji Abdullahi, national publicity secretary of the party, said the intervention was an attempt to hoodwink Nigerians.

On Friday, Bernard Doro, minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction, announced the payments to ease the impact of rising living costs on low-income citizens.

He said the cash would be distributed to selected vulnerable households under the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI).

Abdullahi questioned the timing of the announcement, saying the intervention and other recent measures showed that President Bola Tinubu was in “full panic mode” ahead of the next election.

“Since the ADC and our Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, have made affordability and reducing the cost of living the cardinal focus of our campaign, the government has been announcing one desperate intervention or another,” he said.

“In August, they announced a $1 billion so-called ‘Renewed Hope Social Intervention Fund’. But it was only an announcement, nothing more.

“Then, they announced a 30-day fuel discount, which made no sense. Then they announced the so-called cheaper transportation by October 1 across the states. Again, nothing happened.

“They have also announced a N70,000 transportation allowance to workers. Now, it is N50,000 for everyone. They are just thrashing around, hoping that something would stick.”

The ADC spokesperson questioned what N50,000 could provide for an average Nigerian household amid rising living costs.

“How much food can a family purchase with that amount?” he queried.

“How much transport can it cover? And for how long? Petrol prices have risen roughly sevenfold. Food and transportation costs have followed, not to talk of the cost of basic drugs.

“It is just a desperate and cynical attempt to buy back the goodwill of the people. But it is too little, too late.”

He also questioned why the government had not incorporated the payment into its reform plans from the outset if it could afford to provide such relief.

“If they could give N50,000 to vulnerable Nigerians, why didn’t they factor it into reform plans from day one rather than make it an election-season handout?” he asked.

Abdullahi also cited a recent auditor-general’s report which said there was insufficient evidence that N33.75 billion meant for 3.29 million vulnerable households in 2023 reached genuine beneficiaries.

He questioned the need for another cash transfer programme when the government had yet to hold those involved in the previous one accountable.

The ADC spokesperson warned that the latest initiative could provide another avenue for diverting public funds for partisan purposes.

“At best, this is an election gimmick designed to deceive Nigerians into believing that a government which has neglected them for more than three years suddenly cares about their welfare,” he said.

“At worst, it could become another scheme to siphon public funds under the convenient cover of poverty alleviation.”

He added that addressing Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis required restoring purchasing power and reducing the cost of food, energy and transportation.(TheCable)