Bagudu’s Admission that Tinubu’s reforms causing hardship shows President is anti-people

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The Allied Peoples Movement has asserted that the admission by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, that the reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are responsible for the worsening hardship in the country confirms its position that the Tinubu administration is anti-people.

The APM said that Bagudu’s admission at 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 these in a statement on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf in Abuja.

The APM declared that it is indeed irresponsible and unpardonable for a government to arrogantly embark on far-reaching economic policies without adequately assessing their damaging consequences on citizens.

The party, which Engr Seyi Makinde as its presidential candidate, recalled that “Right from 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”.

Continuing, the APM said, “Instead of listening to voice of reason, the Tinubu administration embarked on ego trip and chest thumping that ended up ruining the economy and cripple the productive sector.

‘The result is the growing number of millions of compatriots languishing in multi-dimensional poverty.

“Because of President Tinubu’s polices, a sizeable number of multi-national companies left our nation in droves; millions of businesses and enterprises that sustained families folded, cost of living skyrocketed, unemployment become widespread with over 60% of Nigerian population unable to afford their daily meals, medications and other necessities of life while corruption and treasury looting fester in government circles.

“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 as he has not demonstrated the capacity to effectively run an insightful and productive system.

“The admission by Minister Bagudu firmly settles the fact that the Nigerian system requires a hard reset from the comatose situation it has been plunged into by the All Progressives Congress (APC) government.

“Nigeria requires and deserves a leadership that has the blueprint, policy foresight and adequate safeguards required to manage a nation and ensure the wellbeing of all citizens.

“This informs why Nigerians are gravitating towards the presidential candidate of the APM, Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, who is armed with the blueprint to run a people-based and development-driven government with a clear roadmap for tackling Nigeria’s economic and security challenges while protecting citizens from avoidable hardship.

“Nigeria deserves the duplication, at national level, of Engr. Makinde’s record of performance including growing the economy of Oyo State to become one of the best performing in Nigeria and the West African sub-region.

“Our Party therefore urges Nigerians to remain steadfast and continue to rally behind Engr. Makinde as we vigorously mobilize the citizens to democratically take back Nigeria from the misrule of the APC, come January 16, 2027”, the party declared.