On Thursday, the opposition Labour Party (LP), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and others made a mockery of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for Nigeria’s growing poverty.
The opposition parties’ denunciation came after a widely shared video of long lines of Nigerians waiting for meals on Christmas Eve at President Bola Tinubu’s Bourdillon house in Lagos.
Sharing the video on Wednesday through his official X account, Senator Ali Ndume claimed it brought attention to the country’s economic difficulties.
In the footage, a huge crowd was seen standing or sitting in lengthy lines at Tinubu’s home on Bourdillon Raod in Ikoyi, Lagos.
“Lines for presidential handouts at Bourdillon on Christmas Eve highlight a sobering reality,” said Ndume, a member of the ruling APC.
“Poverty is not confined by geography, politics, religion, or tribe. It is a global problem that necessitates teamwork and long-term fixes.”
This comes after more than 50 people were killed in catastrophic stampedes at food distribution events in Oyo, Anambra, and Abuja.
Obiora Ifoh, the national publicity secretary for the Labour Party, responded to the development by saying that it was regrettable that the ruling APC was making more Nigerians into beggars every day.
Ifoh urged the APC to “come to terms with the reality that there is too much poverty, hunger, and oppression in the system” and to stop living in denial.
“The numbers are publicly available for everyone to view. Hardly many people even realise that Christmas is approaching.
“Therefore, don’t be shocked when you see people waiting in line at Bourdillon. At some point, even physically fit men in suits and ties will carry plates to beg at his house. Consider spending N100,000 on a sack of rice for Christmas. In other words, the deaf can now hear and the blind can see that there is hunger in the world. It has even been recognised by the government itself.”
Nigeria’s poverty rate is second only to India’s, which has a population of over a billion people, according to statistics released by the international community. There are only 240 million people in Nigeria. However, Nigeria has a poverty rate of over 40% and an unemployment rate of over 70%. It is therefore no longer news.
Peter Obi, the LP’s 2023 presidential contender, also voiced alarm about the nation’s growing poverty.
Speaking through Umar Ibrahim, his media assistant, Obi expressed sadness that more Nigerians were becoming destitute as a result of President Bola Tinubu’s strict economic policies.
“This reality stands in sharp contrast to what one might anticipate from a nation with such wealth and promise. The government’s inability to provide its inhabitants with opportunity, infrastructure, and basic requirements is a clear sign of ineffective governance. “Seeing a country with so much promise struggle to provide for its people is heartbreaking,” he said.
Additionally, Timothy Osadolor, the PDP’s Deputy National Youth Leader, charged that President Tinubu’s government was using poverty as a weapon.
He cautioned that Nigerians could become so desperate that they would turn against the ruling class.
“I’ve always believed—and I appear to feel—that this presidency, under Bola Tinubu, has weaponised hunger and poverty to the extent that Nigerians must beg for their lives. Additionally, the guy has diminished the dignity of the average person to the point where they are impoverished and lack fundamental self-respect. People are forced to beg as a result.
“The APC government of President Tinubu has turned poverty into a weapon. Their disastrous economic policies caused Nigerians to suffer from hunger and adversity. The man has turned poverty and hunger into weapons, making it necessary to travel to Bourdillon in Lagos to receive handouts or be able to purchase a daily square meal. Strongmen have been established throughout the nation, giving food and weapons to beggars or Nigerians they have dehumanised.
“It is extremely heinous, inhuman, and inconsiderate. Furthermore, any rational government would be insensitive to support armed begging and the dehumanisation of human character and dignity in such a splendid way as this administration and this presidency have done,” Osadolor stated.
He cautioned that if we are not careful, Nigerians may end up in a situation where “people will stop begging for food, they will eat those who are giving it to them, or they will go after the political elites, especially members of the APC, because they caused the hardship.”
