The National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has described President Bola Tinubu’s administration as a failure, citing worsening insecurity, economic hardship and concerns about the impact of government policies on ordinary Nigerians.
Baba-Ahmed made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he questioned the administration’s record since Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.
He also challenged the president to personally engage Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general election rather than rely heavily on campaign representatives to communicate his policies and achievements.
According to the PRP chairman, the president should explain why many citizens continue to experience high living costs and economic difficulties despite the government’s reform agenda.
“Tinubu inherited Nigeria, but what has he done with it? He inherited a poor country; he inherited weak institutions; he inherited poverty and insecurity. We don’t blame him, but he’s been in power for three and a half years. He is a failure,” Baba-Ahmed said.
He questioned reports that Tinubu intended to limit his campaign appearances to selected locations, arguing that the president should meet voters directly and explain the consequences of his administration’s policies.
“Yes, he has nothing to say to them, I’m telling you, he has nothing to say to Nigerians,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed also challenged the president’s reported intention to leave some campaign activities to representatives while remaining in Abuja to oversee government affairs.
He argued that the administration had not sufficiently addressed the country’s major challenges during its time in office and should therefore be prepared to answer questions from voters.
The PRP chairman further criticised the government’s economic reforms, maintaining that difficult policy decisions should not automatically be regarded as beneficial.
“He made some tough decisions but they were anti-people decisions, a tough decision doesn’t have to be a good decision,” he said.
He questioned whether the administration’s intervention programmes, including loan schemes, were adequately addressing the difficulties facing vulnerable households.
Baba-Ahmed particularly highlighted the effect of insecurity on education, arguing that financial support programmes would have limited impact on children who could not attend school because of threats from bandits and kidnappers.
He alleged that insecurity had deteriorated under Tinubu’s administration and said economic indicators presented by the government did not necessarily reflect improvements in citizens’ living conditions.
“Security has gotten considerably worse, it has never been worse like this. All these things you mentioned, this is the propaganda. Unfortunately, for Tinubu, Nigerians are not going to buy it. Children are not going to school, life is more insecure, life is harder,” he added.
The PRP chairman also questioned whether the government had adequately considered the immediate consequences of its economic policies on household incomes, transportation costs and the cost of living.
He argued that policymakers should have considered measures to cushion the effects of reforms before implementing decisions that could increase financial pressure on citizens.
Baba-Ahmed maintained that the president’s case for another four-year term would be weakened if Nigerians continued to experience hardship without clear evidence of improved living standards.
