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APC Defends Tinubu Over 2025 Revenue Achievement.
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APC hails achievement, opposition dismisses it as empty figures.
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Economists warn borrowing and hardship still undermine fiscal gains.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition parties clashed on Wednesday over President Bola Tinubu’s declaration that Nigeria had achieved its 2025 revenue target by August.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Tinubu, speaking at the Presidential Villa, attributed the feat to non-oil revenue growth, noting collections of N20.59 trillion between January and August 2025, a 40.5 per cent increase from the previous year. He also claimed the Federal Government had stopped borrowing locally.
The APC hailed the announcement as evidence of economic recovery. Party chieftain Nze Chidi Duru argued that meeting the target early would ease borrowing pressure and allow government to fund infrastructure. Presidential aides, including Daniel Bwala, challenged critics to provide contrary data.
However, opposition parties dismissed the claim as disconnected from reality. The African Democratic Congress, Labour Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party and the Coalition of United Political Parties accused Tinubu of “celebrating figures while Nigerians face hardship.” They argued that inflation, food insecurity, and naira depreciation outweighed any fiscal gains.
ADC spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi described the revenue milestone as “absurd,” stressing that it had no impact on poverty reduction. NNPP’s Ladipo Johnson accused the government of prioritising taxes over citizens’ welfare, while CUPP’s Peter Ameh claimed Tinubu was “disconnected from Nigerians’ daily struggles.” The Labour Party labelled the claim “falsehood,” questioning why borrowing persists if revenues are sufficient.
Economists also expressed scepticism. Professor Akpan Ekpo said borrowing via the Debt Management Office continued, while Babcock University’s Segun Ajibola noted that half-year data showed Nigeria had barely crossed half its 2025 target. Former Zenith Bank economist Marcel Okeke described Tinubu’s claim as “unrealistic.”
But some analysts, including Professor Richard Mayungbe, credited reforms such as subsidy removal and FX unification for strengthening non-oil revenue streams, though many warned that borrowing would still rise in the year’s second half.
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