Politics
How FG’s policies averted economic collapse – Shettima
He described them as necessary given the poor state of Nigeria when he assumed office on May 29, 2023.
“His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, chose the option that will save the life of the nation instead of one that will merely prolong its imminent and predicted economic death,” said Shettima when he appeared as the guest speaker at the Second Chronicle Roundtable in Abuja.
He explained why the administration acted on the petrol subsidy regime and the foreign exchange market intervention, saying the President chose the harshest but most certain path to recovery.
The VP affirmed that the Tinubu administration does not blame the previous regime for its decisions
Shettimma implored Nigerians to be patient with the administration assuring them that Tinubu is steering the ship of state through economic turbulence and storms he encountered on taking office.
He expressed confidence that the measures taken so far would soon yield the desired results for the nation.
“Soon, Nigeria’s economy will experience significant growth once we’ve overcome these sacrifices. Positive changes will soon be evident across all economic indicators – inflation, per capita income, GDP numbers, poverty reduction, food security, and all aspects close to the hearts of our people,” the VP predicted.
Shettima emphasised that the Tinubu-led government understands the reasons for the steps taken by the immediate past Buhari administration.
Therefore, it does not blame it for the current economic hardship.
“We understood why our predecessor made the decision to remove the subsidy. We do not resort to putting the blame on the previous administration.
“Leadership is about courage, leadership is about continuity, leadership is about taking far-reaching decisions. Before we took charge, the biggest issue was the fuel subsidy removal. We had to get rid of the subsidy or the subsidy would have destroyed the Nigerian nation, it was a bitter pill to swallow, but necessary.
“The government is a continuum. Whoever succeeded the previous government could either steer the ship through the storm as President Tinubu is doing or let the country implode,” he stated firmly.
Shettima cited Nigeria’s debt-service-to-revenue ratio which rose to 111.18 per cent before Tinubu assumed office describing it as a “an economic death sentence.”
He highlighted the nation’s budget deficits, diversions of resources from critical sectors of the economy, and corruption masterminded by the subsidy regime saying, since President Tinubu’s opponents in the 2023 elections all promised to tackle these head-on, they cannot blame government for taking the obvious steps.
“Fortunately, this is why some of our brothers and sisters who ran for this office could not question our methods. Whether in handling the subsidy matter or the FOREX crisis, we had also promised the solutions we adopted. Those who tried to backtrack were instantly proven wrong by data, history, and the facts,” he added.
However, the Vice President lamented the level of sabotage Nigeria’s economy had suffered at the hands of those he said are only concerned with personal gains over national interest.
He pointed at fuel subsidy beneficiaries and foreign currency speculators saying “Our colleagues in charge of the CBN, Mr. Yemi Cardoso, and the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, had to take matters into their own hands.”
Shettima expressed confidence that some of the measures being administered would soon bring desired results for the nation.
The VP told critics of Tinubu’s economic policies that Nigeria’s recovery would not be achieved through a one-size-fits-all solution to the complexities facing individual nations.
He argued that every nation is forged out of its peculiar economic histories and contexts.
He cited the Argentine Solution suggested by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the last election, Atiku Abubakar, noting that governance is not a photocopying machine.
“Sometime in February this year, a presidential candidate in the last election…rushed to point Argentina as a model for Nigeria.
“In barely two weeks, he watched as Argentina’s inflation rates soared, yet refused to acknowledge that every country’s journey is different.
“Every country is a product of its economic history and context. We respect what President Javier Milei does there and we wish him well, but governance is not the photocopying machine some of us believe it is”, he said.
Regionally, Shettima opined that Nigeria must to get its acts together first before it can lead Africa into its projected growth revolution.
“The trajectory of global growth is facing Africa and Nigeria will make or mar that transition. It’s in our interest, it’s in the interest of the black man, for Nigeria to succeed.
“Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, though humbly it might be, there’s no place like home. We have to unite, we have to fuse into one. Politics is over, we are now in the phase of governance.
“We need to move this nation forward, not for my own sake, not for the sake of the people on the high table, but for the sake of the black man. “
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Ministry of Finance Incorporated and former Finance Minister, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman, said the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration is a detailed and carefully crafted policy document.
However, he called for periodic review and integration into the medium and long-term development framework of the country.
Usman said policy consistency with a long-term vision to transform critical sectors of the economy, is the way to go.
Meanwhile, the CEO of 2nd Chronicle Newspaper, Mahmud Jega implored guests to critically analyse government policies and programmes.
Jega said critical analysis by the media but is necessary to collectively contribute to the nation’s development.
Also present at the event were the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris; Special Adviser to the Vice President on Political Matters, Dr. Hakeem Ahmed; Chairman of 21st Century Chronicle, Gbara Awanen, Senior Special Assistant to former President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu and notable leaders in the media industry such as Dr. Ishaq Kawu; Mr. Segun Adeniyi, among others.
Former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso has dismissed suggestions that his exit from the African Democratic Congress has created a damaging split in the opposition.
He said he and Atiku Abubakar may yet work together before the 2027 general election.
Kwankwaso spoke in an interview on Arise TV on Monday, responding to concerns that his move to the Nigeria Democratic Congress alongside Peter Obi had effectively divided the opposition into two competing blocs ahead of the polls.
“Now, we may still work together before the election. I personally, and I think even Obi himself, decided to leave ADC not because we are fighting with Atiku or anybody there. We decided to leave that party because we realised that there are some issues,” he said
He said the ADC was contending with three major unresolved problems that he believed would make it difficult for the party to field candidates, without specifying what those issues were.
“Whether they will be able to field candidates in that party or not is just a matter of time. It’s not like we had a primary election,” he said
The remarks come after Atiku recently claimed on Arise TV that Kwankwaso’s popularity was confined to Kano State and further divided there by Governor Abba Yusuf.
Atiku, who is seeking the presidency on the ADC platform, also described himself as the most popular politician of northern extraction, saying none of his contemporaries, including Kwankwaso, Aminu Tambuwal and Nasir El-Rufai, commanded a voter base across the North as wide as his.
Kwankwaso did not engage the slight directly, but made clear he bore no grudge.
“Politics is just like a game. I’m not fighting anybody and I’m not expecting anybody to fight me. I have no issue with that. I think we are past that level now,” he said.
He challenged those predicting a vote split in Kano to wait for the election result before drawing conclusions.
“Let’s wait for the election and see whether votes are split in Kano or not,” he said.
Kwankwaso also acknowledged a history of working with Atiku, recalling that he served as the former vice president’s northern coordinator during the 2019 presidential election.
“There was an election in 2019 in Port Harcourt. He won the election. I was his coordinator for the north. We worked for him,” he said.
He traced his broader relationship with Atiku to the 2015 APC presidential primary in Lagos, where he placed second behind Muhammadu Buhari, with Atiku third.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The Anambra State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expelled 30 members of the party for instituting legal actions against the party.
The affected members include some aspirants for the National Assembly, and their expulsion may disqualify them from participating in the party’s primary elections.
Disclosing this shortly after the meeting of the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the party, the State Publicity Secretary, Dr. Sir Valentine Iyiegbu, told reporters that the decision was in line with Section 21, Subsection 5 of the party’s constitution.
“The party discussed those who took the party to court, and many of them are contesting for the House of Representatives tickets of the party,” he said.
“The matter comes up tomorrow, and the SEC stated that what the party constitution stipulates would be followed, which is outright expulsion from the party under Article 21, Subsection 5.”
“The SEC actually ratified their expulsion because they did not exhaust all the internal avenues provided by the party to resolve their grievances,” he added.
Iyiegbu noted that the only reprieve available to the expelled members would be for them to withdraw their court cases.
“It is only when the matters are withdrawn from the court that the party can consider listening to them,” he said.
Speaking on the party’s primary elections, he explained:
“In the case of those contesting for the tickets of the Federal House of Representatives, all the eleven positions have aspirants, while for the Senate, the three positions are also being contested. The screening committees were here to perform their duties,” he noted.
The party also ratified the appointment of a five-man Primary Elections Committee headed by Sir Izuchukwu Okeke, the State Organising Secretary of the party.
By PETRUS OBI
Frontline aspirant for the Aninri/Awgu/Oji-River Federal Constituency seat, Anayo Onwuegbu, has successfully completed the screening exercise conducted by the All Progressives Congress House of Representatives screening panel in Abuja ahead of the party primaries scheduled for Friday, May 15, 2026.
Speaking after the exercise, Onwuegbu expressed satisfaction with the screening process, describing it as a reflection of the party’s commitment to internal democracy, transparency, and credible leadership selection ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The aspirant, who is seeking to represent Aninri/Awgu/Oji-River Federal Constituency under the platform of the APC, stated that he remains focused and prepared to continue to offer quality representation to the people of the constituency.
According to him, “The process once again highlights our party’s commitment to internal democracy, transparency, and the emergence of credible leadership as we prepare for the 2027 general elections.”
He reaffirmed his dedication to the development of the constituency, pledging to serve the people with commitment and purpose if elected.
The APC House of Representatives primaries are expected to hold nationwide on Friday as aspirants battle for the party’s tickets ahead of the 2027 elections.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Ten communities that make up Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State are set for a showdown with their traditional rulers following the alleged suspension of the zoning arrangement for the Anambra State House of Assembly elections.
Recall that on April 7, 2022, the traditional rulers, in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), resolved that the House of Assembly seats for Anaocha I and Anaocha II constituencies would rotate among the ten communities, with each town occupying the seat for two terms.
The traditional rulers further resolved that the rotation would subsist irrespective of the political party through which lawmakers emerge, noting that the arrangement was aimed at ensuring that all ten communities have the opportunity to produce members of the State Assembly in the interest of equity and fairness.
However, the Anaocha Equity Forum, shortly after its meeting, expressed concern over the alleged suspension of the zoning arrangement.
Speaking, the Convener of the Anaocha Equity Forum, Mr. Valentine Okoye, said the forum would not take kindly to what it described as acts capable of destabilising the council area, adding that any such move would be resisted.
“This is a Memorandum of Understanding signed by our traditional rulers, and it has been respected until now. We in the Anaocha Equity Forum see this as a slap on the sensibilities of the ten communities that make up the area,” he said.
“We urge members of the public, political parties, and stakeholders to disregard the alleged position of the traditional rulers, as it does not represent the views and aspirations of our people.
“Our traditional rulers should be mindful of their roles as fathers of their respective communities. They should also understand that they would be held responsible for whatever backlash or consequences may arise from this recent position.
“We call on Governor Charles Soludo to call the traditional rulers to order so that the peace currently enjoyed in Anaocha Local Government Area will not be disrupted,” he stated.
The exit of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, two prominent opposition figures, has weakened the African Democratic Congress across both chambers of the National Assembly.
The National Democratic Congress, which received Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso on Sunday, recorded its biggest gains on Tuesday with the addition of 17 House members and a senator. Weeks earlier, its ranks expanded when Seriake Dickson, representing Bayelsa West, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to join the party.
The development comes a few days after several opposition parties resolved to present a single presidential candidate against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
The wave of defection to the NDC occurred 48 hours after Obi and Kwankwaso, two of the ADC’s most prominent figures, formally exited the party. These moves have significantly altered the opposition landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections, setting the stage for shifting political alliances.
Additionally, the latest defectors, drawn from Kano, Anambra, Lagos, Edo, Rivers, and Kogi States, cited internal disarray within the ADC as a major factor that influenced their decision.
While reading their letters on the floor of the House, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the plenary session, said the lawmakers blamed the party’s instability for their departure, noting that the crisis remained “unresolved starting from the ward to the national level.”
The defectors to the NDC are Yusuf Datti, Sani Adamu, Zakari Mukhtari, Kamilu Ado, Harris Okonkwo, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, Peter Anekwe, Emeka Idu, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, and Afam Ogene. Others include Lagos lawmakers Thaddeus Attah, Oluwaseyi Sowunmi, George Olwande, and Jese Onuakalusi, as well as Murphy Omroruyi from Edo and Umezuruike Manuchim from Rivers State.
In a separate move, Kogi lawmaker Leke Abejide defected from the ADC to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The coordinated nature of the defections is widely interpreted as a show of loyalty to Obi and Kwankwaso, whose switch to the NDC is already reshaping opposition dynamics.
Both men are influential political figures with strong regional bases—Obi in the South-East and Kwankwaso in the North-West—and their exit from the ADC appears to have triggered a ripple effect among lawmakers aligned with their political structures.
The ADC’s current troubles did not emerge overnight. In recent months, tensions within the party escalated over leadership struggles, strategy disagreements, and competing ambitions among top figures.
The situation worsened amid reports of irreconcilable differences between Obi, Kwankwaso, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was also a central figure in opposition coalition talks.
Efforts to build a united front ahead of 2027 reportedly broke down due to mistrust, zoning disagreements, and control of party structures.
Their eventual defection to the NDC marked a turning point. Seen as a more viable platform for consolidating opposition strength, the NDC quickly became a magnet for lawmakers and political actors seeking stability and clearer leadership direction.
With the departure of key figures and a steady decline in its legislative strength, the ADC now faces a daunting struggle to maintain political relevance.
The loss of national figures like Obi and Kwankwaso, combined with the defection of lawmakers across multiple states, appears to have weakened its structure and electoral prospects.
Only last week, the party boasted 24 members of the House of Representatives, but it is now left with six.
Once the dominant opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party may equally struggle to retain its status.
Though still officially the most formidable opposition in the House, the PDP currently has 29 members in the Green Chamber, down from 116 members in its ranks at the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June 2023.
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