By Adegboyega Adeleye
The National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has described President Bola Tinubu as a failure, alleging that the president has nothing to say to Nigerians as the 2027 general election approaches.
Baba-Ahmed made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, while criticising Tinubu’s administration over worsening insecurity, economic hardship and the impact of its policies on Nigerians.
“Tinubu inherited Nigeria, but what has he done with it? He inherited a poor country; he inherited weak institutions; he inherited poverty and insecurity. We don’t blame him, but he’s been in power for three and a half years. He is a failure,” he said.
The PRP chairman also questioned the president’s reported decision to campaign in only a few places, asking why Tinubu would not commit himself to meeting Nigerians and explaining his policies and the impact on their lives.
“Why doesn’t Tinubu commit himself to say, I will. I have the energy, I have the intention, I want to see Nigerians, I want Nigerians to see me, I want them to hear me explain why they are more hungry,” Baba-Ahmed said.
Asked why he believed Tinubu had indicated he would visit only a few places during the campaign, Baba-Ahmed replied: “Yes, he has nothing to say to them, I’m telling you, he has nothing to say to Nigerians.”
He added: “The reason why he said, Go, gentlemen, go and campaign for me. I will stay here in Abuja and run the country. You’re running the country now? For three and a half years, you didn’t run the country, now you remember that you are here to run the country?”
Baba-Ahmed also faulted the administration’s economic reforms, arguing that the difficult decisions taken by Tinubu had hurt ordinary Nigerians rather than improved their lives.
“He (Tinubu) made some tough decisions but they were anti-people decisions, a tough decision doesn’t have to be a good decision,” he said.
He questioned the impact of the administration’s policies on education, particularly for children living in areas affected by insecurity.
“You talk about creating loans, that’s good, but do you know how many millions of children that can’t go to school under Tinubu’s watch in this country? Children who live in territories taken over by bandits, kidnappers, and who can’t go to school at all?”
The PRP chairman further alleged that insecurity had deteriorated under the current administration.
“Security has gotten considerably worse, it has never been worse like this,” he said.
On the administration’s defence of its economic reforms, Baba-Ahmed dismissed the presentation of economic statistics as propaganda, arguing that the figures did not reflect the hardship experienced by ordinary Nigerians.
“All these things you mentioned, this is the propaganda. Unfortunately, for Tinubu, Nigerians are not going to buy it. Children are not going to school, life is more insecure, life is harder,” he said.
He argued that the president’s appeal for another four-year term would require Nigerians to accept that the current difficulties would eventually give way to better conditions.
“He flashes all these statistics, he is saying, give me a second chance, even Tinubu will not say he made lives more better, what he will say is that yes, we are going through a difficult part, if you give me another four years, we will get better,” Baba-Ahmed said.
He also questioned the administration’s economic sequencing, arguing that a government anticipating significant economic consequences from its policies should have considered their effects before implementing them.
“You said the microeconomics is good, those are statistics that they use and they will tell you, if you give me another four years, I will see them. Sir, if you knew you had four years within which you’ll embark on a profoundly influential policy, shouldn’t you look at it first of all and say, I’m going to have four years and if I embark on these policies, it will have major economic impacts.”
Baba-Ahmed added that a president should consider the immediate effects of economic policies on citizens before proceeding with them.
“A thinking president will say let me do one or two things first, because I will impoverish people and the cost of transportation is vital and central to everything.”
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