A pro-government advocacy group, The Democratic Front (TDF), has defended the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu, arguing that his administration’s reforms saved Nigeria from impending financial collapse.
The statement was issued in response to recent criticisms from Kola Ologbondiyan, a spokesperson for the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Mr Ologbondiyan had publicly challenged remarks made by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who recently praised President Tinubu’s “sacrifices” in steering the national economy toward recovery.
In a joint statement released on Tuesday, TDF Chairman Mallam Danjuma Muhammad and Secretary Chief Wale Adedayo dismissed the opposition’s critique, asserting that current economic challenges stem from long-standing structural issues inherited from past administrations.
Debating economic heritage
The group argued that the APC-led administration took over a severely weakened economy in 2015, marked by fiscal deficits, security crises, and a heavily indebted sub-national government structure.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic rescue mission saved Nigeria from the accumulated consequences of 16 years of misgovernance,” the TDF statement read.
“The decision to remove the petroleum subsidy may have caused discomfort for the people, but it was the saving grace that has facilitated the current drive towards Nigeria’s economic prosperity.”
The group further praised the previous administration under the late President Muhammadu Buhari for making infrastructure investments despite global oil price shocks and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Political friction ahead of elections
The exchange highlights growing political friction between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) alignment and opposition parties, including the ADC, over the impact of ongoing fiscal reforms.
While the government maintains that fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange unification are necessary steps toward long-term stabilization, opposition figures continue to highlight the immediate cost-of-living pressures facing citizens.
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