An official of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Abdullahi Ramat, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, saying the President prioritises long-term solutions to Nigeria’s challenges rather than policies designed to deliver quick political gains....
An official of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Abdullahi Ramat, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, saying the President prioritises long-term solutions to Nigeria’s challenges rather than policies designed to deliver quick political gains.
Ramat, Secretary of Election Planning, Coordination and Monitoring of the Presidential Campaign Council, said this during an interview on TVC News’ Politics Tonight, where he highlighted the administration’s fiscal reforms, infrastructure projects and plans to improve electricity supply.
According to him, Tinubu inherited significant fiscal challenges when he assumed office in May 2023, including a revenue shortfall that left the government with limited options for financing its budget.
Ramat said the 2023 budget stood at about ₦21.8 trillion, while projected revenue was approximately ₦10.5 trillion, creating a substantial funding gap.
He argued that the administration had to make difficult decisions to address the imbalance, including ending the petrol subsidy and pursuing reforms aimed at increasing government revenue.
“Whoever knows him will tell you that he does not give a solution to a problem that is not a lasting solution,” Ramat said.
He added that Tinubu’s approach was informed by a long-term development vision, citing his experience as governor of Lagos State, where he said the President had adopted a 30-year development plan.
Ramat also claimed that government revenue had increased from about ₦10.5 trillion to more than ₦37 trillion in 2025, attributing the rise to the administration’s economic reforms.
He said the reforms had helped stabilise key macroeconomic indicators, adding that the next challenge was ensuring that the gains translated into improved living conditions for Nigerians.
“When you have this stability at the macroeconomic level, the next thing is to translate or transmit this achievement to the microeconomic level so that the people will feel the impact,” he said.
The APC campaign official challenged opposition politicians to go beyond criticising Tinubu and present detailed policy alternatives on the economy, security, electricity and job creation.
He urged voters to examine proposed policies and assess whether they would be sustainable before supporting any candidate in the 2027 general election.
Ramat specifically called on Nigerians to scrutinise the economic proposals of opposition figures, including Peter Obi, and consider their potential impact on the country’s economy.
He also defended Tinubu’s political relationships with northern leaders, arguing that the President had supported several politicians from the region over the years.
According to him, the administration’s record should be assessed not only by political appointments but also by infrastructure projects, revenue distribution and development interventions across the North.
Ramat said increased federal allocations had given state governments greater capacity to pay salaries and execute projects, adding that some states were receiving twice or three times their previous allocations.
On the power sector, Ramat said the Electricity Act 2023 was a significant step towards addressing Nigeria’s electricity challenges by allowing states to participate more actively in electricity generation, transmission and distribution within the framework of the law.
He argued that decentralising the sector would enable federal and state governments to pursue projects simultaneously, potentially accelerating improvements in electricity supply.
Ramat also highlighted the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline, describing it as strategically important for expanding gas supply to power plants and supporting electricity generation in northern Nigeria.
He cited projects in Abuja, Kano and Kaduna as examples of how increased access to gas and local generation could reduce dependence on electricity transmitted from the South.
Ramat said improved electricity supply could lower operating costs for businesses, attract domestic and foreign investment, create jobs and strengthen economic activity across the North.
However, the generation figures and project completion percentages cited during the interview were claims made by Ramat and would require independent verification.
Responding to concerns that northern Nigeria had not received adequate representation under Tinubu, Ramat said the region should not be assessed solely by the number of political appointments allocated to it.
He argued that the impact of government policies, infrastructure investments and development programmes should also form part of the assessment.
“The North is not a homogeneous region. We have the North-Central, North-West and, of course, the North-East,” he said.
Ramat maintained that the administration had appointed northerners to several strategic positions, including roles in telecommunications, power transmission and national security.
He concluded that the North’s interests should be judged by both representation in government and the benefits of policies and projects being implemented across the region.