ADC accuses Tinubu govt of ‘weaponising hunger’, deceiving Nigerians on food prices

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of “weaponising hunger” and using food prices as a political tool, alleging that the Federal Government’s claims of improved local food production are false and intended to mislead Nigerians.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC described the government’s economic narrative as “deceptive,” saying it was designed to create an illusion of progress while millions of Nigerians continue to face worsening hardship.

“The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is deeply concerned by the Federal Government’s misleading narrative around the so-called drop in food prices. Contrary to what is being celebrated in official circles, the reality on the ground, as confirmed by the voices of struggling farmers and families across the country, is that the Tinubu government is manipulating food prices and weaponising hunger for political gains,” Abdullahi said.

The ADC claimed that the reported fall in food prices was not a result of improved local production, but rather an artificial outcome of government import waivers that have flooded the market with cheap foreign goods.

“The reported drop in the prices of some food items is artificial, and a result of import waivers that have flooded the market with cheap foreign food. It is neither evidence of sound policy nor proof of increased local production.

“And while that may offer momentary relief in food prices, it has, and will, come at the heavy cost of sabotaging local farmers who can no longer compete due to soaring input costs, especially fertilisers, and worsening insecurity,” Abdullahi stated.

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The party further criticised the government’s claim that its agricultural policies were encouraging domestic production, calling the assertion “dishonest” and “out of touch with reality.”

“Additionally, we find it particularly strange and dishonest for the government to claim that its policies are encouraging domestic production at a time when many farmers have been displaced by bandits, and those who remain are barely able to afford the cost of planting. How can production be increasing when the rural economy is under siege by bandits, and the costs of planting are now beyond the reach of the average farmer?” the party queried.

Rejecting government denials that imported food had been released into the market, the ADC described such claims as “false and cynical,” questioning the logic behind hoarding food in the face of national hunger.

“We also take note of the government’s claim that it has not released imported food into the market. If we are to even momentarily entertain this falsehood, it begs an even more damning question: why is the government hoarding food while the people go hungry? What sort of administration stores food in warehouses during a hunger crisis?” the ADC said.

The opposition party warned that any current decline in food prices was “temporary and unsustainable,” insisting that the government was engaging in propaganda rather than genuine economic reform.

“This is propaganda. What we are witnessing is a deliberate manipulation of food prices for short-term political gain, designed to create the illusion of economic progress while citizens continue to suffer. Any current drop in price is temporary, unsustainable, and driven by panic, not strategy and deliberate planning,” Abdullahi maintained.

Calling for urgent reforms, the ADC urged the Federal Government to “end the politicisation of hunger” and prioritise policies that safeguard local farmers, ensure fair pricing, and guarantee long-term food security.

“The ADC condemns in the strongest terms the weaponisation of hunger and calls for a complete overhaul of the current agricultural approach. We must protect local producers, address rural insecurity, and invest in long-term food sovereignty, not temporary political optics,” Abdullahi stated.

The party concluded by urging the government to put citizens’ welfare above politics, saying:
“The Nigerian people deserve truth and food, not manipulation and a false narrative of renewed hope.”

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