A civic group accused President Tinubu’s government of dumping economic pain on poor Nigerians while officials divert public relief funds.
A prominent political and civic advocacy group, the African Democratic Congress, has openly accused President Bola Tinubu’s government of shifting the whole weight of Nigeria’s economic problems directly onto the shoulders of poor citizens and hardworking laborers.
The group made this strong statement public in Abuja during a press briefing on Monday, September 7, 2026. Representatives of the group stated that while the federal government keeps telling ordinary people to endure painful economic policies, government officials are allegedly taking advantage of social welfare programs to enrich themselves instead of helping families who are suffering.
The main reason why the group is attacking the government’s economic direction is the continuous rise in the cost of living caused by government policies like the total removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the local currency.
These policy changes have pushed the prices of food items, transportation, electricity, and everyday household goods sky high across all 36 states.
Furthermore, recent auditor general reports showed that over N33 billion meant for cash transfers to poor households could not be traced to real people, showing that the money meant to cushion the hardship was disappearing into private pockets.
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Explaining how government policies have increased hardship for everyday workers, political leaders and civil rights activists condemned the unfair treatment of citizens.
Exposing the corruption inside social relief programs, the National Publicity Secretary of the group, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, stated that “it is an organised racket, which this government has run under the guise of a social intervention programme. They are stealing from the poor and telling them to continue to endure hardship.”
Calling out the federal leadership for manufacturing poverty while pocketing public funds, the group’s spokesperson added that “this is a government that manufactured hardship with one hand and pocketed the relief with the other. Fuel prices up. Transport costs up. Food prices up. And the one programme meant to soften the blow turns out to be a black hole.” Opposition leaders and labor unions are demanding a full public audit of all social intervention funds.
Jennifer Baba is a journalist, international news correspondent, and writer at Moderncrux, where she covers artificial intelligence, fintech, emerging technologies, global politics, and international affairs. Based in Nigeria, she is passionate about transforming complex global developments into clear, engaging stories that inform and inspire readers.
