The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has warned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the rising cost of petrol and other essential commodities is pushing Nigerians “dangerously close to the limits of human endurance.”
The party made its position known in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, on September 15, 2026.
The ADC said with petrol selling for as much as N1,470 per litre, the cost of transportation, food, electricity, education and other basic necessities had continued to rise, worsening the economic hardship faced by households.
According to the party, the increase in petrol prices has had a direct impact on the cost of living, describing the situation as a burden on ordinary Nigerians.
“President Tinubu has turned the petrol pump into an instrument of punishment for everyday Nigerians. Food, transportation, electricity, education, and everything Nigerians need to survive responds directly to the price of fuel and combine together to make life difficult for the majority of Nigerians,” the statement said.
The opposition party also expressed concern over reports that some private schools had increased tuition fees by between 30 and 40 per cent, arguing that household incomes had not risen at a comparable rate.
The ADC said parents were already struggling with higher costs of fuel, food, rent and transportation, adding that the additional burden of increased school fees was worsening pressure on families.
The party, however, said it did not blame school proprietors for the increases, noting that they were also contending with rising taxes, electricity bills, fuel costs, rent and staff salaries.
“Parents, workers, and businesses are all casualties of Tinubu and the APC’s economy,” the party said.
The ADC further described the prevailing petrol price as “Tinubu Tax,” alleging that the economic policies of the administration had left many Nigerians struggling to meet their basic needs.
It claimed that some families were now skipping meals, withdrawing children from school, abandoning medical treatment and shutting down businesses because of the rising cost of living.
The party also criticised what it described as continued demands for sacrifice from ordinary Nigerians while public officials maintain expensive lifestyles.
“A reform that continuously makes the people poorer is not working. An economic policy that produces impressive figures at government briefings but hunger in Nigerian homes is a failure,” the statement said.
The ADC argued that the 2027 general elections would give Nigerians an opportunity to choose between continuing with the current economic policies and its proposed alternative under its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
The party reiterated Atiku’s commitment to reducing petrol prices through the restoration of subsidy mechanisms to support domestic fuel production, which it said would help reduce the cost of food, transportation and production.
“Unlike Tinubu and APC, we recognise that economic reform must serve the people, not sacrifice them,” the party said.
The ADC urged the Federal Government to take urgent steps to address the economic hardship, warning that the resilience of Nigerians should not be interpreted as acceptance of the situation.
“President Tinubu must act now. Don’t push Nigerians to their limits,” the party said.
