Monday, July 20, 2026

PDP left $550 billion economy but APC turned it to world’s poverty capital: PDP Govs

The opposition governors said the APC government was a “massive failure” when compared to the PDP.

• January 17, 2022
PDP Governors
PDP Governors

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum says President Muhammadu Buhari turned Nigeria to poverty capital of the world despite handing over a $550 billion economy to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015.

“The PDP handed over a $550 billion economy (the largest in Africa), but under APC, Nigeria is the Poverty Capital of the world,” the opposition governors said.

In a communique issued on Monday in Port Harcourt by the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Aminu Tambuwal, who doubles as governor of Sokoto, the governors said the APC government was a “massive failure” when compared to the PDP.

According to them, Nigeria was the largest economy in Africa before the PDP handed over the country’s leadership to the APC in 2015.

Deliberating on the current economic challenges under the Buhari regime and its effect on Nigerians, the governors boasted that the exchange rate under PDP was N198 to a dollar in 2015 and was almost N500 to a dollar under the APC administration.

“Unemployment rate was 7.3% under PDP, it is now 33%, one of the highest in the world under APC. In 2015, the pump price of petroleum was N87 per litre, it is now N165 per litre and climbing under APC. Debt servicing now under APC takes over 98% of the federal budget. The tales of woe are endless,” the communique read.

The PDP governors said Nigerians had become numb and “accustomed to bad economic news as exemplified by the inconsistent and differential exchange rate regime, high interest rates, unsustainable unemployment figures and borrowing spree some of which have not been applied to important projects, and other bad economic indicators.”

We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.

More from Peoples Gazette

farmers

Agriculture

FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology

The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Katsina State

Politics

Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku

“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

Economy

OPay leads Nigeria’s fight against digital fraud

Elizabeth Wang, chief commercial officer of OPay, noted that technology should not only make payments easier but also make financial services more trusted and more inclusive.

Opinion

Aderonke Atoyebi: One Year After the Tax Reform Laws: Tinubu’s economic foresight is taking shape

How President Tinubu’s bold reforms and Dr Zacch Adedeji’s leadership at the Nigeria Revenue Service are driving record revenue growth and building a more resilient economy.

States

Troops arrest suspected terrorist logistics suppliers in Borno

Mr Goni said troops recovered 202 cartons of herbicides, one jerrycan containing suspected acid, and one Starlink wireless internet communication system, among other items.

Hot news Home top

FULL SPEECH: ‘I go with good grace,’ Starmer says in final speech as UK PM

Keir Starmer gave his final speech as prime minister on the steps of Downing Street.

Folashade Ambrose

Economy

Lagos inaugurates accelerator training for N10 million single-digit MSME loans

The loans will be provided under the Lagos State Access to Finance for SMEs through Cooperatives (LASMECO) programme.

Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia

Politics

My administration remains focused on service, says Gov Alia

Governor Hyacinth Alia says his administration remains undeterred, focused, and deeply committed to serving the people in Benue.