The party made this known in a statement issued on Thursday, October 1, 2026, by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, in Abuja.

The APC paid tribute to Nigeria’s founding fathers, democratic heroes and pro-democracy activists, particularly the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, for his role in the June 12, 1993 presidential election and the struggle for democratic rule.

The party said the Tinubu administration had remained committed to expanding democratic freedoms and strengthening the foundations of the Nigerian economy since assuming office.

According to the APC, major economic measures introduced by the administration, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the harmonisation of the foreign exchange market, initially caused economic difficulties but were necessary for the country’s long-term economic restructuring.

The party further claimed that the administration’s monetary and fiscal policies had helped stabilise the naira, improve foreign reserves, reduce inflation and increase revenues accruing to federal and sub-national governments.

It also highlighted efforts to increase crude oil production, support domestic refining and expand Nigeria’s capacity to refine petroleum products.

The APC said the administration had also introduced initiatives targeting youth empowerment, education, consumer credit and social investment, including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Consumer Credit Scheme (CREDICORP) and cash transfers to millions of vulnerable Nigerians.

The party commended Nigerians for their patience and perseverance during the ongoing economic reforms, describing their resilience as an important part of the country’s journey towards national development.

“True independence goes beyond the hoisting of a flag,” the party said, stressing the need to build a strong, united and self-reliant nation while securing the country’s borders and the future of generations yet unborn.

The APC called on citizens, political stakeholders, traditional rulers, religious leaders and sub-national authorities to work together towards building what it described as the Nigeria of the collective dream.

Atiku made the donation on Tuesday during a visit to Minna, where he met with affected families and survivors of the incident.

The former Vice President also paid a condolence visit to the Emir of Minna and Chairman of the Minna Emirate Council, Alhaji (Dr.) Umar Farouk Bahago, and visited former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd.).

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the incident as a painful reminder of the challenges facing young Nigerians struggling to survive amid economic hardship.

“It was a gory tale listening to one of the survivors. He told us that more than 68 of them were crammed into one small detention facility and that conditions became so desperate that they had to drink one another’s urine just to stay hydrated.

“No Nigerian should ever be subjected to such indignity in the custody of his own government. These were human beings in the care of the state. Whatever accusations may have been made against them, they were entitled to their lives, their dignity and the protection of the law.”

Atiku said the deaths should prompt the government to address poverty, unemployment and the economic pressures pushing young Nigerians into hazardous and poorly regulated livelihoods.

“Thirty-seven young Nigerians entered the custody of the state alive and did not return alive to their families. That tragedy demands truth, justice and accountability,” he said.

He added that attention should also be given to the circumstances that force young people to engage in dangerous occupations to make a living.

The ADC presidential candidate also criticised the economic difficulties facing households, saying government policies should be assessed based on their impact on ordinary Nigerians.

“When families can no longer afford the basics and young people are forced to take extraordinary risks just to earn a living, government cannot pretend that everything is working,” Atiku said.

He reiterated his proposal for a targeted production subsidy for petroleum products refined in Nigeria if elected president, saying the policy would support domestic refining, create jobs and reduce the cost of fuel for consumers.

“My promise to make life affordable again is not a political slogan. It is a solemn covenant with the Nigerian people,” he said.

“We will support what Nigeria produces. We will support fuel refined in Nigeria, create Nigerian jobs and insist that every naira of government support delivers a measurable benefit to the consumer.

“The purpose of government is not merely to announce reforms. The purpose of government is to make life better for the people.”

Atiku said young Nigerians should have access to education, skills, jobs and other opportunities that would enable them to build productive livelihoods rather than depend on dangerous and uncertain means of survival.

The commitment followed a bilateral meeting between Vice President Kashim Shettima and Modi on the sidelines of the recently concluded BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi.

Bilateral trade between both countries reached about $14.95 billion in the 2021–2022 financial year before falling to $7.13 billion in 2024–2025, largely due to reduced Indian purchases of Nigerian crude. It later recovered to about $9 billion in 2025–2026, according to figures disclosed by India’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Abhishek Singh.

During the meeting, Modi made a case for renewed crude oil purchases from Nigeria, saying stronger energy trade could help return commercial exchanges between the two countries to previous levels.

Responding, Shettima said Nigeria would examine the request as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to attract investment and build strategic partnerships capable of expanding the country’s productive capacity.

The Vice President identified pharmaceuticals, defence, digital technology and creative industries as areas of particular interest to Nigeria, stressing the need for partnerships that create jobs, transfer skills and provide opportunities for the country’s large youth population.

He said the administration of President Bola Tinubu was interested in moving Nigeria-India relations beyond the traditional exchange of commodities towards investments that support domestic production and value addition.

The two leaders also discussed cooperation in renewable and clean energy, power, healthcare, financial technology and capacity building.

Shettima said stronger private-sector engagement would be central to the next phase of the relationship, particularly in sectors where Indian companies have significant expertise and Nigeria has growing demand.

Meanwhile, Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, said Nigeria was adopting lessons from India’s women-led self-help group model to strengthen financial inclusion and grassroots enterprise.

She said the approach was being implemented through the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up, using Women Affinity Groups to connect women with finance, skills and markets.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim added that women’s economic empowerment was central to the Federal Government’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy, stressing the need to bring more Nigerian women into productive economic activities.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) questioned the value of the growth figures against the rising cost of living, falling purchasing power and difficult working conditions across the country.

The Federal Ministry of Finance had reported that real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by 4.43 percent year-on-year in Q2 2026, up from 4.23 percent in the corresponding quarter of 2025 and 3.89 percent in Q1 2026.

The ministry said the performance was putting Nigeria on track towards the Federal Government’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030, while strengthening the country’s position among Africa’s largest economies.

But the NLC said the figures did little to address the economic difficulties confronting ordinary Nigerians.

Reacting in a statement titled, ‘The Ministry’s “Growth” Charade: A Paper Tiger Disguised as Progress’, the Congress accused the government of placing emphasis on percentages while households continued to struggle with expensive goods and inadequate social services.

It called for increased government investment in infrastructure and social services, protection for local industries against harmful imports and wages that reflect current economic realities.

The labour centre also demanded improved access to education, housing, healthcare, transportation, water, sanitation and hygiene services.

For CDWR National Chairperson, Rufus Olusesan, the government’s presentation of the growth figures was politically motivated.

“This is a political statement orchestrated by the ruling elite to perpetuate themselves in office,” he said.

Olusesan said the hardship experienced by workers and other Nigerians had worsened three years after the removal of petrol subsidy, despite assurances that savings from the policy would support development and improve working conditions.

The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), however, took a more measured position, describing the growth as encouraging but warning that the recovery remained fragile.

NECA said the 4.43 percent expansion was the strongest quarterly growth since Q3 2024, but noted that businesses continued to face high energy costs, poor infrastructure, limited access to affordable credit, weak consumer demand and rising production expenses.

“A 4.43 percent expansion does not automatically mean that businesses are thriving or households are better off,” it said, warning particularly about the challenges facing the industrial sector.

Salifu made the remarks while speaking on an Arise Television programme titled “Dissecting President Tinubu’s Latest Foreign Visit.”

He criticised the Tinubu administration over the rising cost of living, saying Nigerians, particularly low-income and middle-class earners, had continued to experience hardship.

The ADC chieftain also raised concerns over the increase in the pump price of fuel in parts of the country, claiming that prices had risen from about N1,200 per litre to between N1,310 and almost N1,400 in some states.

Salifu said the reported increase came at a time when, according to him, the President should be focused on addressing the country’s pressing challenges.

“From N1,200 to maybe N1,310 in some states, N1,350 and in other places almost reaching N1,400, and this is the time where the President should step out of this country and to step out not to even reflect on the issues of governance but to reflect on the recharge of 2027 election,” he said.

He accused Tinubu of placing the desire to retain political power above the welfare of Nigerians.

“He is prioritising power and retaining power above the welfare and wellbeing of Nigerians. This is a clear and present danger to our country, Nigeria,” Salifu said.

The ADC chieftain also expressed concern over the security situation in northern Nigeria, claiming that killings had continued across parts of the North-West and North-East.

“Go to every part of North-West and North-East, there is not a single day that you don’t have killings in Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi states,” he said.

Salifu added that some reports emerging from the affected states were too disturbing and gruesome to recount.

He maintained that the Federal Government should give greater attention to tackling insecurity and addressing the economic challenges confronting Nigerians rather than focusing on preparations for the 2027 general election.

Atiku made the commitment while receiving the Osun State leadership of the ADC in Abuja on Tuesday, saying his position on fuel subsidy had remained unchanged.

According to him, Nigeria has sufficient resources to provide relief to citizens facing economic hardship, arguing that the strength of an economy should be measured by the purchasing power of its people.

“I will restore it! A nation as blessed as ours has no business abandoning its citizens to hardship,” Atiku said, referring to his proposed targeted subsidy policy.

He said his administration would seek to restore the value of wages, support farmers by reducing transportation costs and enable families to afford essential goods.

Atiku also pledged to support local production, reduce energy costs and improve the purchasing power of Nigerians.

Explaining his position, the ADC candidate said increases in fuel prices affect transportation costs, which in turn drive up food prices and increase the burden on households.

He promised to break what he described as a cycle of rising costs that has characterised the nearly four years of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Atiku, however, clarified that his proposed subsidy would be targeted and would not be aimed at restoring what he described as the “import racket.”

“I will not restore the import racket; I will restore relief,” he said.

The former vice president said his broader economic agenda would focus on economic security, physical security and making daily life more affordable for Nigerians.

Dare criticised Atiku’s stance, arguing that true leadership requires the courage to defend difficult but fundamental reforms, rather than appealing to popular sentiments for political gain.

In a statement, Dare accused Atiku of hypocrisy and described his position as an attempt to exploit public dissatisfaction with the government’s economic reforms.

“True leadership requires the courage to defend difficult, foundational reforms even when the political weather is rough, rather than pandering to populist illusions for ballot-box validation,” Dare said.

He further described Atiku’s position as an “insult to the collective intelligence” of Nigerians and expressed confidence that what he called the former vice president’s “desperate gambit” would fail.

However, Abdullahi responded sharply, urging Dare to focus on explaining the government’s policies to Nigerians rather than trading insults.

“My brother, Sunny, take am easy o. It’s not enough to throw insults around and gaslight Nigerians,” Abdullahi said.

The ADC spokesperson argued that the Tinubu administration had had three years to demonstrate to Nigerians why the removal of fuel subsidy was necessary and beneficial.

“You guys had three years to demonstrate to Nigerians how the removal of fuel subsidy makes sense. You did not,” he said.

Abdullahi also rejected the description of Nigerians’ response to the economic hardship as “resilience,” accusing the government of mocking citizens who are struggling with the impact of the reforms.

He said Atiku was proposing an alternative approach, adding that the response from government officials suggested that they were uncomfortable with the proposal.

The ADC spokesperson also challenged Dare and the Tinubu administration to revisit the President’s past criticism of former President Goodluck Jonathan over an attempted fuel subsidy removal in 2012.

“Watch the video of BAT attacking Jonathan for attempting to remove this same subsidy in 2012,” Abdullahi said.

Speaking during an interview on TVC Breakfast Saturday, Inuwa said the initiative goes beyond simply building data centres, noting that it seeks to reduce Nigeria’s heavy dependence on foreign digital infrastructure, strengthen cybersecurity, improve government control over sensitive information, and create a more coordinated national cloud ecosystem.

He explained that the reform is deeply rooted in President Bola Tinubu’s Nigeria First policy, recalling that the president had articulated eight priority areas to drive national inclusivity and prosperity, with priority number seven specifically focused on accelerating diversification through digitalisation and innovation.

“So is cloud sovereignty, or we call it digital sovereignty. This reform is deeply rooted in President Tinubu’s Nigeria First policy, and also, if you remember, on the assumption of office, the president made it clear that driving national inclusivity and prosperity is paramount to his renewed hope agenda, and the president articulated eight priority areas to achieve that vision, with priority number seven specifically focused on accelerating diversification through digitalisation and innovation.”

Inuwa said the initiative is about Nigeria building its capacity for digital self-determination, stressing that connectivity and compute power form the backbone of the digital economy, since almost every aspect of daily life and the economy now depends on technology.

On the benefits of storing data locally, he cited examples such as mobile money and payment platforms, as well as the digitisation of healthcare services, warning that systems hosted outside the country could become inaccessible in the event of a submarine cable cut or other disruptions, potentially affecting critical services, including those that save lives.

Addressing concerns about funding and infrastructure readiness, Inuwa said the initiative was not about shutting Nigeria’s doors to foreign technology providers but about inviting them to build within the country. He disclosed that President Tinubu approved Project BRIDGE, which involves rolling out 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable nationwide to connect unconnected areas, with investments coming from bodies such as the World Bank and the European Investment Bank. He added that government spending on IT infrastructure had exceeded N3.8 trillion since 2023 and that channelling such investment locally would boost confidence among foreign investors.

He further explained that NITDA has developed a framework for digital infrastructure assurance, involving certification for data centre infrastructure providers, cloud service providers, cloud service aggregators or system integrators, and software testing and quality assurance.

On waivers previously granted to big tech companies, Inuwa said the arrangement, which began in 2019 under the cloud-first policy, had now been replaced with clear timelines, noting that the Central Bank of Nigeria had already set a January 1 deadline for banks to bring financial transaction data back into the country.

Responding to questions on ownership and regulatory control, Inuwa said the initiative operates as an open market under a private-led, government-enabled model, adding that Nigeria is positioning itself as the digital gateway for West and Central Africa through a network of interconnected data centre locations designed for redundancy and disaster recovery.

He assured that a strong regulatory and legal framework, including the Nigeria Data Protection Act and data classification guidelines, would govern the initiative, stressing that any data stored in Nigeria would fall under Nigerian law and could not be moved without the country’s knowledge.

Inuwa also spoke on collaboration with the private sector, saying NITDA had co-created the regulatory framework with hyperscalers and local data centre providers over two years, culminating in the establishment of a Sovereign Cloud Governance Council as the decision-making body for the initiative.On youth involvement, he said the initiative was designed to build an enabling environment for young Nigerians to develop and scale digital solutions globally, citing examples such as Moniepoint and Flutterwave, and noting that talent development remains one of the key pillars of the strategy.

Dare said the tax reform was not introduced merely to increase taxation but to build a fairer, simpler and more efficient system capable of broadening the country’s revenue base, encouraging investment and providing government with the resources needed to fund development.

In a statement, Dare said President Tinubu “staked all to drive through the Tax laws”, describing the reform as “a Tinubu economic master stroke” undertaken in the interest of the country.

According to him, Nigeria is at a point where leadership must choose between measures that are immediately popular and those necessary to build a stronger future.

He said, “Tax reform is not simply about taxation. It is about building a system that is fairer, simpler and more efficient; one that broadens the revenue base, encourages investment and gives government greater capacity to fund development.”

Dare noted that critical sectors such as infrastructure, energy, agriculture, transportation, healthcare, education, security and job creation require sustainable funding, making tax reform an important component of the government’s broader economic strategy.

He linked the reform to the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, saying the government was pursuing reforms and investments across key sectors to address current challenges while laying stronger foundations for future development.

The presidential aide acknowledged that the impact of reforms may not be immediate, stressing that the real measure of success is whether they create stronger systems capable of delivering greater results over time.

Dare also called for continuity, saying Nigeria could not afford to repeatedly start over whenever there is a change in government.

He said the 2027 election should therefore be viewed as an opportunity for Nigerians to consider the country’s long-term direction and whether ongoing reforms should be strengthened and consolidated.

“Nigeria cannot afford to keep starting over. We must build on what is working, correct what needs improvement and give successful reforms the time and stability required to deliver their full potential,” Dare said.

He added that the next phase should focus on consolidating and expanding the reforms already underway, describing continuity as central to the promise of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Sule made the disclosure in Lafia while receiving members of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors National Media Tour, led by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

The team, comprising presidential media aides and more than 50 senior journalists, is on a nationwide inspection tour of federal and state government projects across the North-Central region.

According to Sule, the increase in federal allocations has created additional fiscal space for Nasarawa State to execute major projects and respond more effectively to the developmental needs of its residents.

The governor said the state previously received between N3.8 billion and N4.5 billion monthly from the Federation Account, limiting its ability to undertake major capital projects.

He acknowledged that the removal of fuel subsidy and other reforms initially created economic difficulties but praised Tinubu for taking what he described as difficult decisions in the interest of the country.

Sule said the increased resources had enabled his administration to undertake landmark projects in road infrastructure, industrialisation, education, healthcare and water supply across the state.

He also stressed the importance of effective communication to help Nigerians understand government policies, particularly economic reforms that may initially cause hardship but are intended to strengthen the economy and improve public service delivery.

Meanwhile, Onanuga commended President Tinubu for implementing the fuel subsidy removal and other economic reforms, which he said had been considered necessary by previous administrations but repeatedly postponed.

“Actually, when President Tinubu came in 2023, he initiated some audacious reforms that ought to have been introduced some decades ago. But the country kept postponing them until he came, and from Day One uttered that famous phrase ‘subsidy is gone.’”

During the tour, the media team inspected several completed projects in Nasarawa State, including the state secretariat housing various ministries, a 1-megawatt solar farm powering the secretariat, the completed 16-kilometre Makurdi bypass in Lafia, the Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational and Skills Acquisition Centre, Shinge Waterstorm Channel and Kilema Bridge along the Lafia-Doma Road.