The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly criticised the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, for retracting his earlier comments on Nigeria’s escalating debt burden.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the party’s spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC accused the National Assembly of being complicit in what it described as a deepening fiscal crisis under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The Speaker had previously raised concerns that Nigeria’s debt profile had surpassed its legal threshold, warning that the situation now posed a serious threat to the country’s fiscal sustainability. According to reports, Abbas stated that the debt-to-GDP ratio had risen to 52 percent, exceeding the statutory limit.
However, in a surprising reversal, Speaker Abbas later withdrew his remarks—an action that has drawn sharp condemnation from the ADC.
“The Speaker’s initial admission that the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio had crossed statutory limits was a rare moment of honesty,” Abdullahi said. “But his decision to backtrack reveals a troubling level of political cowardice and legislative complicity.”
The party likened Abbas’s retraction to “a flame in the wind,” describing it as a fleeting glimpse of truth extinguished by political pressure.
“Rather than standing by his remarks and siding with the Nigerian people, he chose to play it safe and be politically correct,” the statement added.
The ADC’s rebuke comes amid growing public concern over Nigeria’s rising debt levels and what many perceive as a lack of accountability and transparency in government borrowing.
Analysts have repeatedly warned that continued borrowing without clear fiscal reforms could place future generations at financial risk, with limited capacity to invest in essential sectors such as health, education, and infrastructure.
The ADC called on the National Assembly to show greater courage and responsibility in holding the executive to account, insisting that silence or political hedging would only deepen Nigeria’s economic woes.
As the country grapples with inflation, currency depreciation, and widespread hardship, the party stressed that now more than ever, Nigerians deserve honesty and principled leadership.
