The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has criticised Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, accusing him of focusing on President Bola Tinubu’s re-election prospects instead of addressing the country’s worsening economic challenges.
In a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the rights group said Nigerians were more concerned about rising poverty, increasing fuel prices and the cost-of-living crisis than discussions about the President’s political future.
HURIWA urged the minister to concentrate on implementing policies that would ease economic hardship and improve citizens’ welfare.
According to the group, Oyedele’s suggestion that international investors and financial markets were already factoring in a Tinubu second term represented a personal assessment and should not be interpreted as a definitive verdict on Nigeria’s political future.
“The power to determine who becomes Nigeria’s next president rests with Nigerians and not foreign investors, financial institutions or influential corporate interests,” the statement said.
The association described it as troubling that a senior economic official would devote attention to projecting the President’s electoral prospects while many Nigerians grapple with inflation, unemployment and declining purchasing power.
HURIWA challenged the minister to explain how the government intends to address the economic pressures facing workers whose incomes have been eroded by rising costs of food, transportation, electricity and other basic necessities.
The group also raised concerns over Nigeria’s growing debt profile, questioning why government borrowing remains significant despite reports of improved revenue generation by federal agencies.
According to HURIWA, increased revenue collections should stimulate greater scrutiny of public spending priorities and fiscal discipline rather than continued dependence on borrowing.
