APC defends Tinubu’s economic reforms amid rising living costs

As Nigerians face a high cost of living and rising commodity prices, Ismaeel Ahmed, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has defended President Bola Tinubu, asserting that he should not be blamed for the country’s economic difficulties.

During an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Ahmed emphasized that the difficult decisions made by the current administration were necessary for economic recovery. “Hard decisions were taken.

None of these decisions was not promised during the campaign, not only by President Bola Tinubu but by other candidates as well,” he stated. “The President has taken hard decisions, it is discomforting, we are all feeling the pinch, but I won’t say the President is to be blamed for.”

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Since taking office in May 2023, President Tinubu has implemented several reforms aimed at revitalizing the economy and attracting investment, which have led to a temporary increase in living costs.

Key measures include the removal of fuel subsidies, resulting in higher living and transportation expenses, and the unification of the naira exchange rate, which has caused significant depreciation of the national currency.

Ahmed noted that the economic policies, including ending fuel subsidies and unifying the exchange rate, were also promised by the Labour Party’s Peter Obi and the Peoples Democratic Party’s Atiku Abubakar during their campaigns.

Despite Tinubu’s relatively short time in office, political maneuvering is already underway ahead of the next election cycle. Reports of discussions between Atiku and Obi have surfaced, a development Ahmed dismissed as unsurprising.

“As a party in office, we will relish the possibility of a very strong opposition to keep us on our toes and actually do democracy the way it should be done,” he said, adding that a robust opposition is essential for a healthy democracy.