A pro-government group, The Democratic Front (TDF), has dismissed claims by the Chairman of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is disconnected from the realities of hardship facing Nigerians.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Mallam Danjuma Muhammad, and Secretary, Chief Wale Adedayo, the group described Baba-Ahmed’s remarks during a television interview as misleading and lacking in objective analysis. It said the former Permanent Secretary failed to apply his experience in assessing the government’s policies and their impact on citizens.
TDF argued that the economic challenges highlighted by Baba-Ahmed predate the current administration, stressing that it is unfair to attribute them solely to President Tinubu’s reforms without a balanced comparison of past and present economic conditions.
The group noted that Baba-Ahmed had previously acknowledged the distortions caused by fuel subsidy and multiple exchange rate regimes before serving as Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, adding that such positions should have informed a more measured critique.
According to the statement, Nigeria’s macroeconomic outlook has shown signs of improvement under the current administration, despite global pressures, including tensions in the Gulf region affecting fuel prices. It maintained that recent increases in petrol costs are partly driven by international factors beyond the government’s control.
TDF further claimed that key economic indicators, including a reported drop in headline inflation and improvements in the manufacturing sector as reflected in the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), point to gradual recovery and job creation in the non-oil sector.
The group also cited reforms in the oil sector, including local refining, subsidy removal, and tax restructuring, as measures that have boosted government revenues and increased allocations to states through the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).
It emphasized that sub-national governments have a critical role in addressing economic hardship, urging them to effectively utilize increased allocations to improve the welfare of citizens.
TDF concluded that criticisms of the President’s handling of economic challenges should instead be directed at all levels of government, particularly state and local authorities, rather than placing sole responsibility on the Federal Government.
