Politics
Tinubu’s Policies Saved Nigeria, Soludo Claims
Anambra State Governor and former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) chief, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, has thrown his weight behind the economic reforms initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing them as bold interventions that saved Nigeria from imminent economic collapse.
Speaking on Thursday at The Platform, a special Democracy Day symposium hosted by The Covenant Nation in Lagos, Soludo acknowledged the hardship Nigerians have faced but insisted that the current administration’s decisions were necessary to reset a stalled economy.
“I know I may disappoint some who expect me to criticise the government or present a new economic blueprint,” Soludo said to a packed audience in the church auditorium at Iganmu. “But I must say this without hesitation: the audacious structural reforms by President Tinubu’s administration have rescued the Nigerian economy from a tipping point.”
Since taking office in May 2023, President Tinubu has embarked on a series of economic overhauls, most notably the removal of the decades-long petrol subsidy and the unification of Nigeria’s multiple exchange rates. While these policies have sparked inflationary pressures, affecting everything from food prices to transport costs, Soludo argues that inaction would have been far worse.
“We were at a place where the economy could barely move,” Soludo explained. “Subsidies were unsustainable, and the foreign exchange market was riddled with distortions. These reforms may be painful now, but they have allowed the economy to breathe again.”
Soludo, who served as CBN Governor between 2004 and 2009, is known for his directness when it comes to economic matters. On Thursday, he used the Democracy Day platform to both affirm the necessity of the Tinubu administration’s policies and challenge fellow economists to move beyond surface-level critiques.
“There is still a lot to be done, yes. But we must give credit where it is due,” he said. “The international community, the World Bank, IMF, and even global media outlets like the Financial Times, are all watching and acknowledging that we are finally making tough but overdue decisions.”
Recalling his own time in office, Soludo shared that he once rejected a World Bank loan due to terms he considered unfair, yet he emphasized that Nigeria’s current reform direction aligns with the assessments of these global institutions.
“When the World Bank criticises a government, many rush to quote them. But when they praise reforms, some dismiss them as neoliberal or out of touch. We can’t cherry-pick. We must be intellectually honest,” he stated.
In a moment of candor, Soludo referenced a friend who once told him, “The past is always easy, especially if you’re not the one who lived it.” He used the quote to urge critics to avoid easy nostalgia and instead focus on offering rigorous, fact-based alternatives to current policies.
The Platform event drew a diverse gathering of high-profile Nigerians, including former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Attahiru Jega, former Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola, and other government officials and policy influencers. The event served as one of the major highlights of the country’s Democracy Day celebrations, commemorating the historic June 12, 1993, elections.
Soludo’s remarks were particularly poignant on a day meant for national reflection.
“Yes, Nigerians are suffering,” he admitted. “But let us not forget that many of these reforms are about laying a foundation, not for short-term applause but for long-term prosperity.”
He also urged President Tinubu and his team not to waver in the face of growing public discontent.
“These are not easy choices. But leadership is about doing what is right, not what is easy. My advice to the President: stay the course. Engage citizens, listen more, and communicate the vision clearly.”
The governor’s balanced stance, acknowledging present struggles while defending difficult decisions, stood in contrast to the often polarised national discourse around Tinubu’s economic strategy. His message was clear: reform is never painless, but it is sometimes the only path to renewal.
As Nigeria continues to wrestle with rising inflation, a weakened naira, and widespread public discontent, Soludo’s intervention serves as both a vote of confidence and a call for responsible governance and civic engagement.
“We have to go deeper. Social media hot-takes won’t solve our economic problems. Let’s challenge each other, leaders and citizens alike, to think critically and act courageously,” he concluded.
Ripplesnigeria.com
A former House of Representatives aspirant under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mohammed Danjuma, has joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Danjuma, popularly known as Garkuwa Babba, was the ADC aspirant for the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency and also served as National Chairman of the ADC House of Representatives Aspirants Forum.
He announced his defection after meeting with Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, at the Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, Naija News understands.
During the meeting, Danjuma declared his support for the APC and pledged to mobilize his political network and grassroots supporters for the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said he would support Governor Yahaya’s senatorial ambition, the APC governorship candidate in the state, Dr Jamilu Isiyaku Gwamna, and other candidates of the party.
Danjuma said his decision to leave the ADC was largely influenced by Yahaya’s leadership, performance and development record in Gombe State.
He praised the governor for what he described as tangible development across the state, saying his achievements had boosted confidence in the APC and reduced the appeal of opposition parties among voters.
According to him, joining the APC was a deliberate move to support continuity, stability and further development in Gombe State.
Receiving Danjuma, Governor Yahaya welcomed his decision to join the APC, describing the development as a major boost for the party.
The governor assured the new APC member and his supporters of an inclusive and united party, stressing the importance of unity, loyalty and collective effort.
Yahaya said the APC remained open to individuals and groups who shared the vision of a peaceful, stable and prosperous Gombe State.
He added that Danjuma’s political experience, network and grassroots reach would be valuable to the party.
The governor also urged APC members and stakeholders to remain united, saying the strength of the party depended on its ability to accommodate different interests while working towards the development of Gombe State.
“These men and women will carry the ADC banner and our commitment to offer Nigerians credible leadership and a real alternative,” the party said.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has released the names of its governorship and deputy governorship candidates for the 2027 elections in 28 states
The list, signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, includes several prominent politicians and former public officials seeking to contest the poll.
“These men and women will carry the ADC banner and our commitment to offer Nigerians credible leadership and a real alternative,” Mr Abdullahi wrote in a post on X on Friday.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled the governorship elections for 6 February, 2027. It will hold alongside the state House of Assembly elections.
The remaining eight states hold their governorship elections outside of the regular election season as a result of previous court decisions. The eight states are Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo and Osun.
The presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on 16 January, 2027.
ADC governorship candidates
The candidates and their running mates are Kalu Agu and Alozie Darlington (Abia); Modibbo Ribadu and Aguwa Iliya (Adamawa); and Akpanudedehe James and Nsien Tommy (Akwa Ibom); Halliru Jika and Sama’ila Mohammed Kabir (Bauchi); Herman Iorwase Hembe and Abba John Abba (Benue); Babagana Buhari and Mamman Dauda (Borno); Nkoyo Toyo and OkwoChe Andrew Adagbor (Cross River; and Great Ogboru and Afiari Gloria (Delta).
Others are Ukpai Mba Udeh and Onwe Daniel Ede (Ebonyi); Ocho Obodeze Chukwuma and Eze Arinze Christopher (Enugu); Bala Bello and Bala Sani Isa (Gombe); Sabo Mohammed Nakudu and Musa Ya’u Balarabe (Bauchi); and Isa Mohammed Ashiru and Kantiok Irmiya Ishaku (Kaduna).
There are also Ibrahim Ali Amin and Shehu Abdulkadir Bari (Kano); Ahmad Baba Kaita and Aminu Yar’Adua Ahmed (Katsina), Abubakar Malami and Zagi Musa Mohammed (Kebbi); Zakari Mohammed and Olawuyi Julius Olayide (Kwara); Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and Gbadamosi Babatunde Olalere (Lagos).
The list also includes Nuhu Angbazo and Ahmed Yusuf (Nasarawa); Mohammed Kpautagi and Musa Mamman (Niger); Biodun Collins Ogundipe and Muraina Oluwaranti Oluyemi (Ogun); Taofeek Adegboyega Adegoke and Wahab Adeniyi (Oyo); and John Sunday Sura and Pwajok-Kele Chundung Bitrus (Plateau).
The remaining candidates are Gabriel Pidomson and Okumgba David Amapakaye (Rivers); Manir Mohammad Daniya and Isah Bello Ambarura (Sokoto); Abubakar Umar Tutare and Kwetishe Haruna Kwenyan (Taraba); Kassim G. Gaidam and Kori Lawan Mohammed (Yobe); and Shinkafi Bilyaminu Yusuf and Muhammad Abdulmuddalib Auwal (Zamfara).
ADC performance in off-cycle elections
Since the ADC was adopted as the platform for the opposition coalition in 2025, it has struggled to make a significant impact in the three off-cycle elections held in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun off-cycle governorship elections.
In the 2025 Anambra governorship election, APGA’s Chukwuma Soludo was re-elected with 422,664 votes, defeating APC’s Nicholas Ukachukwu, who polled 99,445 votes. John Nwosu, the ADC candidate, finished fifth with 8,208 votes, representing about 1.4 per cent of the 584,054 valid votes cast.
In the 2026 Ekiti governorship election, the ADC candidate, Dare Bejide, finished third with 12,872 votes, accounting for about 3.4 per cent of the 375,777 valid votes cast.
In last month’s Osun governorship election, the ADC candidate, Najeem Salaam, came third with 1.7 per cent (17,180) of the 985,079 valid votes cast.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has described the exit of global ride-hailing brand Uber from Nigeria, alongside the shutdown or scaling down of operations by several major international companies, as further evidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic policies are turning Nigeria into a “graveyard of businesses.”
Naija News reports that global ride-hailing company, Uber, had announced the shutdown of its operations in Nigeria, bringing an end to a 12-year presence in the country.
The company said its services would cease in Nigeria from September 2, 2026, following a review of its business operations
Uber disclosed the decision in a statement issued on Wednesday, describing its departure from the Nigerian market as a difficult one.
Reacting in a statement on Thursday, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the growing list of businesses shutting down, scaling back or leaving the country exposes the widening gap between the government’s claims of economic progress and the reality confronting businesses and ordinary Nigerians.
The party said it was particularly astonishing that President Tinubu and his government were celebrating a marginal 0.2 percentage-point improvement in GDP at a time when businesses are closing, jobs are disappearing and millions of Nigerians are sinking deeper into poverty.
“Certainly, a 0.2% growth does not justify the extreme hardship that Nigerians are suffering,” the party said.
He argued that while the Tinubu government celebrates a marginal improvement of 0.2 percentage points, Nigeria’s poverty rate has snowballed to 63%, affecting an estimated 140 million Nigerians.
The ADC also asked President Tinubu to explain 0.2% GDP growth to the 140 million Nigerians who have sunk into poverty since he came to power; the workers who have watched the value of their salaries disappear; businesses that have struggled with energy costs; and millions who have been forced to reduce the quantity and quality of food on their tables.
“When the President and his party say things are getting better, we expect them to tell us what has improved in the lives of Nigerians. They should tell us how much food their “GDP growth” has put on the tables. They should tell us which bill it has paid. If 0.2% is a mark of success in their books, President Tinubu and APC should tell us what they consider as failure,” the ADC said.
The party said that Uber’s exit after twelve years in Nigeria reflects the increasingly hostile operating environment confronting businesses, particularly the soaring cost of energy and transportation, with the price of fuel rising by as much as 1,700% following the removal of fuel subsidy and devaluation of the naira.
“This is precisely why the ADC Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has proposed the restoration of a targeted fuel subsidy to bring down the cost of fuel, transportation and production,” the party said.
It also cited the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria’s earlier report that 767 manufacturing companies, including 20 iconic global brands, have shut down or ceased operations in Nigeria, while hundreds more are distressed since President Tinubu assumed office in 2024. It listed among the companies that have shut down or scaled down operations in the country to include Microsoft, Jumia and Bolt Food, Pick n Pay, Shoprite, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Sanofi-Aventis, Bayer AG, Procter & Gamble, Unilever and PZ Cussons, among others.
“Therefore, when the President announces that Nigeria has turned the corner, we wonder which corner he is talking about. If indeed the economy is improving, or the slightest hope exists in the minds of those who run these businesses that this APC government can improve the economy, why are they closing shop and moving elsewhere?” ADC asked, citing the example of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), which it said shut down manufacturing in Nigeria after 50 years.
“The painful truth is that Tinubu has turned Nigeria into a graveyard of businesses. Every business that shuts down or pulls out is a vote of no confidence in the Tinubu administration and its capacity to manage the economy. Each exit delivers a blow to the economy. But perhaps, more importantly, each one represents a massive loss of jobs and increased poverty.
“Therefore, when the APC and its government celebrate even the most negligible shift in GDP numbers and flaunt that as evidence to show that things are getting better, they are immediately contradicted by the painful reality that Nigerians are getting poorer and hungrier. Those who had jobs yesterday are not sure how long it will take before their employers close shop, and those earning salaries are struggling even to transport themselves to work,” the party concludes.
ADC reiterated that its presidential candidate’s plan to subsidise the production costs of fuel to make it more affordable will bring down the cost of living, make businesses more profitable, and create jobs across sectors.
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