The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has harshly criticized the Tinubu-led government for celebrating Nigeria’s rebased Gross Domestic Product (GDP), calling it a misleading and superficial attempt to project economic progress.
In a statement released by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC described the development as nothing more than a public relations gimmick, masking deep-rooted economic dysfunction.
The party referred to the government’s celebration as “economic cosmetics,” insisting that the rebased GDP neither addresses Nigeria’s worsening poverty nor tackles the nation’s crumbling infrastructure and sky-high inflation.The ADC argued that while government officials boast of a revised GDP figure, millions of Nigerians are struggling to survive.
The party stressed that real economic growth must reflect in the everyday lives of citizens—at the dinner table and in the market—not in inflated statistics.According to the ADC, although GDP rebasing is a routine statistical exercise meant to reflect structural shifts in the economy, the Tinubu administration has weaponized it to distract from its failure.
They pointed out that Nigeria’s GDP, once $509 billion in 2014, has now plummeted to $244 billion, pushing the country from the top of Africa’s economic rankings to fourth place—behind South Africa, Egypt, and Algeria.The party noted that while the GDP figure in naira terms has risen to ₦373 trillion, it’s misleading, driven by currency devaluation and loss of real value.
With GDP per capita dropping from $3,223 in 2014 to barely $1,000, the ADC dismissed the rebasing exercise as a hollow move designed to make debt metrics look better and justify further borrowing.They argued that the economic situation has only worsened under the APC government, with no significant improvement in productivity, innovation, or infrastructure. Promises of diversification, they said, have failed, and critical sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing have stagnated or declined.
According to the ADC, the Tinubu government is using “statistical tricks” to cover its lack of results. “There’s no boost in production, no rise in income, no improvement in power, healthcare, or security—only numbers that look good on paper,” the statement read, labeling the situation as outright deception.The party added that the government is attempting to mask its failures by manipulating figures, while the everyday reality for Nigerians remains bleak.
Despite all the talk, over 90% of government revenue is still being used to service debt, and essential services like education and healthcare remain in shambles.
“If rebasing GDP solves everything, why not rebase insecurity, electricity, and hunger too?” the party questioned sarcastically, criticizing the government’s failure to communicate transparently about the rebasing’s real implications.They concluded by declaring that this economic rebasing is not a success story, but a glaring indictment of the government’s poor performance and missed opportunities over the past decade.
“True economic growth must uplift the people. It should be experienced, not announced—built through sound policy, not borrowed through illusion. To us, this rebasing is no victory. It is a damning verdict on failed leadership and squandered potential.”
