The Democratic Front (TDF) has defended Vice President Kashim Shettima’s assessment of President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, while criticising the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over comments attributed to its campaign spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Danjuma Muhammad, and Secretary, Wale Adedayo, the group accused Ologbondiyan of overlooking the economic challenges inherited by the All Progressives Congress-led administration in 2015.
TDF argued that Ologbondiyan, who previously served as the Peoples Democratic Party’s national publicity secretary, was in no position to blame the country’s current economic difficulties solely on the APC.
The group alleged that the PDP administration left behind salary arrears, weak infrastructure, security challenges and declining public finances.
It also recalled claims that several states owed workers and pensioners at the time, while the federal government struggled to fund security operations and infrastructure projects amid falling oil revenues.
According to TDF, the first APC administration under former President Muhammadu Buhari made progress in infrastructure and the fight against terrorism despite the collapse in global crude oil prices between 2015 and 2017, as well as the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The group further endorsed Shettima’s support for Tinubu’s removal of the petrol subsidy, acknowledging that the policy had imposed hardship on Nigerians but arguing that it was necessary to avert a deeper economic crisis and create the conditions for future growth.
However, the statement reflected TDF’s position and did not include a response from Ologbondiyan or the ADC.
The group’s claims about the scale of the country’s economic and security challenges, as well as the impact of the subsidy removal, remain part of an ongoing political debate.
