In a sober New Year's address, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has declared that the year 2025 proved to be a profoundly difficult period for the majority of Nigerians. The opposition party stated that the government's promised 'renewed hope' resulted instead in increased misery and widespread hardship, with citizens grappling with a relentless rise in the cost of living.
A Year of Economic Struggle and Lost Lives
The ADC's national chairman, Senator David Mark, delivered the message, highlighting that essential items like food, basic medicines, and transport have become unaffordable for most people. He attributed this crisis to what the party calls the government's misguided policies, which have pushed more Nigerians into multidimensional poverty.
The statement also expressed profound sadness and extended sympathies to the Armed Forces and other security personnel who lost their lives in 2025 while working to keep the nation safe. The party consoled their families and asked for prayers for the souls of the deceased, whom it described as having paid the supreme price for their country.
New Taxes and a Defining Political Move
Looking ahead, the ADC warned that rather than offering relief, the ruling APC government has chosen to impose stringent new taxes. The party argues these measures will compound the suffering of citizens already crushed by the cost-of-living crisis, renewing hopelessness instead of hope.
However, the ADC pointed to July 2, 2025, as a pivotal moment for Nigerian democracy. On that date, the party announced the formation of a coalition of opposition parties under the ADC banner. Senator Mark explained that this coalition was born from necessity to prevent Nigeria's slide into a de facto one-party state and to rescue the nation from a government it accused of behaving like an occupying force rather than a democratic administration.
A Call to Action for 2026
Acknowledging public skepticism due to past governmental failures, the ADC's message directly appealed to Nigerians to overcome their doubts. "We do not claim to be perfect, but do not doubt our sense of duty and our commitment to be on the good side of history," the statement read.
The party called on weary citizens not to give up, urging them to rise together with vision and courage. "If we rise together... then 2026 can be the year we begin to take our country back, the year the poor begin to breathe again," Senator Mark asserted.
Concluding with a note of faith, the ADC chairman wished Nigerians a Happy New Year, expressing hope that 2026 would bring strength, healing, and progress toward a better Nigeria.
