The National Chairman of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Yabagi Sani, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, describing it as one of the worst in Nigeria’s history for inflicting “hunger and pain” on citizens.

A report by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) indicates that more than seven million businesses have shut down since Tinubu took office.

According to NESG’s chief economist, Dr Segun Omisakin, Nigeria recorded an estimated N94 trillion loss due to multinational divestments and business closures between 2023 and 2024. The report also states that 30% of the country’s 24 million micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) collapsed in the period, underscoring the country’s economic vulnerability.

Despite this, Tinubu insisted last Thursday that his reforms were already yielding positive results. Speaking while receiving a delegation of former National Assembly colleagues, he said: “We faced serious headwinds when I took over—very challenging times. Nigeria would have been bankrupt if we had not taken the actions that we took, and we had to prevent the economy’s collapse.

“Today, we are sitting pretty on a good foundation. We have reversed the problem; the exchange rate is stabilising. Food prices are coming down, especially during Ramadan. We will have light at the end of the tunnel.”

However, speaking on Trust TV’s Sunday Politics, Sani, who was the ADP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, expressed a different view.

“There is worse suffering in Nigeria now than during (former) President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration,” he said, urging the federal government to tackle inflation, the exchange rate, and transportation costs.

“Nigeria’s economy has great potential, and we can do much better than we are today. Yes, the government took certain decisions that some would say were necessary.

“But Nigerians are not happy. They are going through what is called ‘hell.’ Things weren’t great before Tinubu took over, but today, we are worse off.

“I understand that pain often precedes progress, but if it lasts too long, there will be no one left to enjoy the benefits when they finally come.”

He called on the government to take bold steps to revive the manufacturing sector, strengthen the naira and curb corruption.

However, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Samuel Danjuma, countered Sani’s argument, saying Tinubu’s government had implemented necessary reforms.

He added: “From the inception of democracy in 1999 till date, if there is any administration that has pushed through with policies aimed at economic recovery and prosperity, it is Tinubu’s.”

Danjuma also blamed Nigerians for the persistently high cost of transportation despite fuel price reductions.

“The government is doing everything possible to alleviate suffering,” he said. “But citizens must also play their part.”