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SDP Rejects U.S. Commendation of Tinubu’s Performance, Calls for Realistic Appraisal of Nigeria’s Challenges
SDP Rejects U.S. Commendation of Tinubu’s Performance, Calls for Realistic Appraisal of Nigeria’s Challenges
POLITICS
The Nigerian Record
7/17/20264 min read
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has faulted recent comments attributed to the United States Assistant Secretary of State, Frank Garcia, praising the economic and infrastructure performance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration, insisting that Nigeria deserves an honest assessment of its realities rather than what it described as diplomatic endorsements.
In a statement issued on Friday by its South West Zonal Organising Secretary, Wale Balogun, the opposition party said it welcomed stronger bilateral relations between Nigeria and the United States but maintained that diplomatic goodwill should not be mistaken for an objective evaluation of the country's socio-economic situation.
The statement, titled "Nigeria Deserves Honest Assessments, Not Diplomatic Endorsements," expressed concern that Garcia's comments could be interpreted as broad support for the Tinubu administration despite the hardship being experienced by millions of Nigerians.
"While we welcome stronger Nigeria, United States bilateral relations and support every genuine effort to improve investment, trade, technology transfer and economic cooperation, we are concerned by recent comments attributed to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Frank Garcia which may be interpreted as a broad endorsement of the Tinubu administration's economic and infrastructure performance," the SDP stated.
It added, "As citizens, we wear the shoes and know where they pinch."
The SDP argued that although the International Monetary Fund (IMF) acknowledged improvements in some macroeconomic indicators, its 2026 Article IV Consultation also concluded that poverty had risen to about 63 per cent of Nigerians living below the national poverty line, while approximately 27 million Nigerians experienced food insecurity.
The party further cited World Bank estimates indicating that roughly seven million additional Nigerians had been pushed into poverty following recent economic reforms.
"These are not mere statistics; they represent millions of families whose daily struggle has intensified," the statement said.
The SDP acknowledged that Nigeria faced serious structural economic challenges when Tinubu assumed office in May 2023 but argued that three years of reforms, including fuel subsidy removal, exchange-rate liberalisation, repeated electricity tariff increases and multiple tax adjustments, had significantly worsened the socio-economic condition of ordinary Nigerians.
It listed persistent inflation, rising food prices, declining purchasing power, increasing transportation and energy costs, closure of thousands of small and medium-scale enterprises, rising unemployment and underemployment, worsening insecurity and growing social inequality among the country's pressing challenges.
"Even the IMF acknowledges that although macroeconomic reforms may improve long-term stability, they have imposed severe short-term social costs on millions of Nigerians and that economic growth remains insufficient to substantially improve living standards," it said.
The party stressed that economic success should not be measured solely by exchange-rate stability, foreign reserves or investor confidence.
"A successful government is one that reduces poverty, creates decent jobs, expands affordable housing, improves access to quality education and healthcare, guarantees food security, and protects lives and property," the party said.
It added, "On these indicators, the present administration has fallen far short."
The party also highlighted Nigeria's estimated housing deficit of more than 28 million units, saying millions remained without access to decent and affordable shelter. It further expressed concern over high maternal and child mortality rates and healthcare financing that continues to depend largely on out-of-pocket payments by citizens.
On education, the SDP criticised the increase in the cost of WAEC and NECO registration from ₦27,000 to ₦50,000, saying the development had placed secondary school certification beyond the reach of many poor households.
The opposition party also expressed concern over worsening insecurity, noting that banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, communal conflicts and violent criminality had displaced farming communities, disrupted agricultural production, fuelled food inflation and discouraged investment.
The SDP further questioned the Federal Government's infrastructure priorities, arguing that while the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway may have long-term strategic importance, it represented a misplaced priority at a time Nigeria urgently needed investments in railway transportation, affordable mass housing, electricity generation and distribution, irrigation, healthcare and education.
According to the statement, investment in modern rail infrastructure would reduce logistics costs, improve productivity, connect agricultural belts to markets and create hundreds of thousands of sustainable jobs, while a comprehensive national housing programme would address the country's housing deficit and stimulate employment across the construction sector.
The party also raised concerns over fiscal governance, alleging that repeated supplementary appropriations, extensive budget rollovers and off-budget spending had weakened fiscal discipline, reduced budget transparency and undermined accountability in the management of public resources.
It maintained that infrastructure should be judged by its measurable contribution to reducing poverty, creating jobs, expanding industrial capacity, lowering the cost of living and promoting inclusive economic growth rather than by the value of contracts awarded or kilometres of roads constructed.
The SDP further warned that Garcia's comments, although intended to strengthen bilateral ties between Nigeria and the United States, "could unfortunately be interpreted as a vote of confidence in the Tinubu administration at a politically sensitive period preceding the 2027 General Elections."
The party insisted that "Nigeria's democratic future must remain exclusively in the hands of Nigerians."
It urged the United States and the wider international community to support constitutional democracy, credible elections, judicial independence, transparency, accountability, respect for human rights and the protection of democratic institutions.
The SDP also called on the international community to remain vigilant against developments capable of shrinking civic space, weakening democratic institutions, suppressing opposition politics or reducing Nigeria to "a de facto one-party state."
Reaffirming its commitment to social justice and accountable governance, the party said it remained dedicated to building a productive economy founded on affordable housing, quality education, universal healthcare, efficient railway transportation, food security, industrialisation and democratic accountability.
"The true measure of any government's success is not the commendation of foreign diplomats but the lived experience of its people. History will judge governments not by official statistics or diplomatic applause, but by whether they lifted millions out of poverty, protected lives, expanded opportunities and restored hope to their citizens," it said.