Hardship: Bagudu’s admission vindicates us — APM

By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA — The Allied Peoples Movement, APM, said Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Senator Abubakar Bagudu’s admission that the Tinubu administration failed to anticipate the scale of economic turbulence confronting Nigeria vindicated its earlier warnings about the government’s policies.

The party said the admission was coming as Nigerians grapple with rising living costs, business closures, unemployment and worsening poverty, which it attributed to the administration’s economic reforms.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf, the APM said Bagudu’s remarks at the Federal Appointees Strategic Summit in Abuja on Wednesday confirmed its position that the government lacked adequate economic foresight and safeguards.

“Bagudu’s admission at the Federal Appointees Strategic Summit in Abuja on Wednesday that the Tinubu administration did not anticipate what it described as the scale of turbulence that hit the global economy is a gross admission of incompetence which also validates our position that the Tinubu Government lacked the coherent economic blueprint, policy foresight and adequate safeguards required to manage a nation,” the party said.

The APM said it had warned against the removal of fuel subsidy, floating of the naira, increased taxes and other policies, alleging that the government ignored the consequences for citizens and businesses.

“Right from the onset, well-meaning Nigerians had cautioned that the abrupt removal of subsidy on petroleum products, floating of the Naira, imposition of harsh taxes and other anti-production policies in an economy such as Nigeria would precipitate untold hardship on the people,” it said.

It alleged that multinational companies had exited Nigeria, businesses had folded, and millions of Nigerians were struggling to afford food, medication and other basic necessities, while corruption and treasury looting persisted.

The party consequently called on President Tinubu to accept responsibility, apologise to Nigerians and withdraw from the 2027 presidential race.

“Now that the administration has admitted that it has failed and that it is responsible for the woes of the citizens, it is expected that President Tinubu should take responsibility, apologize to Nigerians and quit the 2027 Presidential race,” Yusuf said.

The APM also called for what it described as a “hard reset” of the country, saying Nigeria needed leadership with a clear economic blueprint, policy foresight and safeguards for citizens.

It urged Nigerians to support its presidential candidate, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, whom the party said had a roadmap for tackling the nation’s economic and security challenges, citing his record in Oyo State as a model it wants replicated nationally.

The party said it would continue mobilising Nigerians ahead of the January 19, 2027 presidential election to “democratically take back Nigeria from the misrule of the APC”.

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