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Booming economy: Global leaders marvelling at Tinubu’s economic wizardry – Presidency
The worst is over for Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu assured on Monday, saying the country’s road to a brighter future could not be more assured given the current indicators resulting in his policies in the last 22 months.
Tinubu’s glorious story came as a reply to the gloomy picture painted by Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), at its first plenary meeting of 2025 in Abuja, regarding the state of things in the country.
But the President, in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, his spokesman, maintained that Nigeria, on the contrary, had tremendous progress in all areas since President Tinubu assumed office about 22 months ago, the Presidency has said.
Citing security as one of the areas the country had made tremendous progress he said that Nigeria was now more secure than it was in 2023, due to the efforts of the military and other security agencies and the strong leadership provided by President Tinubu as the Commander-in-Chief.
CBCN had through Lucius Iwejuru, an archbishop, listed youth unemployment, insecurity, poverty, corruption, and electoral fraud as some of the ills plaguing the country.
But in a quick riposte, the President, who claimed that much had been achieved in security, economy, youth empowerment among others, while thanking the clerics for their concerns, said Nigeria was on the path of a new era of prosperity.
Hear him: “President Bola Tinubu deeply appreciates the constant interventions of the Catholic Bishops in matters of governance in our country. The Conference of Catholic Bishops’ patriotic fervour and commitment to national unity, peace, and stability are unassailable and deeply valued and respected by the government.
“In the last two years, over 8,000 criminals – bandits, armed robbers, Boko Haram terrorists, and kidnappers – have been eliminated, and over 10,000 Nigerians – primarily women and children have been rescued from their abductors.
“As a result of improved security in our communities, especially in the North-West and the North-East, farmers have returned to their farms, and our country has seen increased food production, which is currently driving down prices of essential commodities.
“Farmers in Kaduna, Kebbi and Jigawa are eloquent testimonies of the improved security ambience. Similarly, farmers growing cash crops in many parts of the country are experiencing a new life of boom and prosperity. On the economy, Tinubu’s administration has stabilised the economy from the precarious situation it inherited on assumption of office.
“Our balance of trade has improved, foreign reserves are in a stronger position, inflation has moderated, our currency is gaining strength against convertible currencies, local refining capacity has tremendously increased on the back of Dangote Refinery and NNPCL Refineries in Port Harcourt and Warri, going on stream.
“Realising the importance of youth to national development and economic growth, President Tinubu’s administration has designed programmes that will catalyse youth employment, enhance their capability, and harness their ingenuity, creativity, and talents for better productivity.
“These programmes, including 3MTT, NATEP, LEEP, IDiCE, NiYA, and the Nigerian Youth Investment Fund, were designed to create over 10 million new jobs for young people. More than ever, the country has increased revenue collection phenomenally and is mobilising more local revenue to fund critical development priorities.
“Under President Tinubu, Nigeria spends more on economic and social infrastructure such as roads, power, healthcare, education, and security. The unprecedented N54.9 trillion 2025 budget is designed to revitalise the economy and set it on a new growth trajectory. Local and international institutions have continued to praise the Tinubu administration’s implementation of necessary reforms.
“Last week, Chatham House, a United Kingdom International Affairs policy think tank, praised President Tinubu’s economic management team. In an article, Chatham House said Nigeria’s economy had been most competitive under President Tinubu in 25 years due to his reforms.
“While we agree that many Nigerians still face difficulties, we remain convinced that the government is making the right decisions that will lead to a better and more prosperous country. President Tinubu and his team will continue to work very hard on behalf of our compatriots to deliver the promise of a greater and stronger Nigeria.
“The Tinubu administration is optimistic about the future and the ongoing positive changes. Bayo Onanuga Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy) March 10, 2023.”
Peter Obi, candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has given assignment to Nigerians to put all those aspiring to take up political positions in the country through the grill to ascertain their level of integrity, saying it was required as a sine qua non for the job they seek.
Obi, who has been a subject of discussion in the polity since the allegation of corruption was levied against him by Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesman of his campaign in 2023, over the conduct of the party’s primaries to choose candidates for the 2027 general elections, said the grilling must start with his own person.
A guest in an interview on a podcast with Rufai Oseni, a popular television anchor, the former Governor of Anambra State, stated that it was actually for this reason that he had now sworn to see the litigation he instituted against Okonkwo through.
His take is that the Nollywood actor should use the courtrooms to give all the details of bad behaviour, following his threat to expose him fully, after alleging that he was collecting money from aspirants in the said election for electoral favours.
Hear him: “The issue of taking Kenneth Okonkwo to court wouldn’t have arisen if he had stopped at those allegations. But he claimed he still has more he would expose about me in the future. So, I am very happy to take him to court so that he can expose me publicly, alongside other Nigerians. If any of them has any criminal allegations against me, they should bring them to court.
“Not just Kenneth, everybody should now say those things they know that is bad about me or I did that is wrong because it’s good for the system, it’s good for the society,” Obi said.
“So, if you know that when we were in primary school, this man was cheating or didn’t go to the primary school, didn’t go to secondary school, didn’t do, if you know this man has done something criminal somewhere, this is time to bring it up.”
For the umpteenth time, Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned about the dangerous implication of using state institutions, particularly the judiciary to destroy Nigeria’s democracy, saying it is an ill-wind that blows nobody any good.
Atiku, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), speaking on the heels of Tuesday’s verdict of the Court of Appeal, halting the de-registration order by the Federal High Court, insisted that judicial officers must not lend themselves to any act capable of undermining the nation’s democratic process.
The appellate court had ordered a stay of execution on the order made on Monday by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court Abuja, for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC alongside four other political parties).
A totally scandalised Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, had taken umbrage, sparing no hard words in upbraiding the lower court judge, stating that his likes were unfit to sit on the bench.
In a unanimous ruling by a three-man panel, the court held that Lifu’s action was “the highest form of judicial impertinence”, stressing that the Supreme Court previously held that a judge who acted in such a manner.
Describing his conduct as the height of judicial rascality, the upper court, stated: “Courts are enjoined to protect their integrity. This Court has supervisory authority over the trial court.
“The decision of the lower court to proceed with the judgment despite the express order of this court is a brazen violation of the hierarchy of the court and the 1999 Constitution.
This court has the duty to invoke its powers in ensuring that its orders are obeyed. The application for a stay of execution is here yet granted. The enforcement of the judgment is stayed.”
Atiku, who hailed the position of the higher court, which restored his hope to be on the ballot as presidential candidate in the 2027 election, also noted the role of INEC as “significant.”
He said: “I welcome the Court of Appeal’s decision to stay the execution of the Federal High Court judgement seeking the deregistration of our great party, the ADC, and four other political parties. It is particularly significant that INEC itself initiated the application for the stay.
“The development reflects growing public concern over judicial contradictions and politically charged rulings within the judiciary. “Any attempt to undermine Nigeria’s hard-won democracy through judicial manipulation is a grave danger to the Republic. If our democracy suffers further injury, history will demand accountability from those entrusted with dispensing justice.
Outside ADC, Lifu’s order, also included: Action Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), similarly slammed for allegedly failing to meet the constitutional requirements for continued registration and participation in elections.
“He is running in contempt of the court. Justice Lifu should be arrested because he is acting in contempt of the court which is a criminal act,” were the exact words with which the African Democratic Congress (ADC), demonstrated its angst over the court ruling on Monday, ordering its de-registration as a political party in Nigeria.
A furious Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the party, told his host while appearing as a guest on Monday’s edition of Politics Today, a public affairs programme on Channels Television that the judge of the Abuja Federal High Court who gave the order was actually playing with fire because of the consequences.
Directly accusing him of playing the script of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to ensure that President Bola Tinubu emerged the sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election, the party spokesman, was emphatic that the plan would not work, as head or tail, ADC must be on the ballot in all the elections.
Hear him: “There is a Court of Appeal order saying don’t hear this case until October 27. So, on what basis? You can’t place something on nothing. The Court of Appeal said don’t act on this until I hear it on October 27. So, on what basis did he deliver the judgement
“So, for us in the African Democratic Congress, what we’re convinced and they know is what they have done has no leg to stand on legally. What they want to do is to create doubts in the minds of the people that this ADC has too many legal cases, can we actually run on this? And to distract us. But we’re not distracted.
“We’re very clear. It was in spite of all they have done since ADC came on board that we ran one of the best and one of the most comprehensive direct primaries in the history of democracy in Nigeria. So, we are strong enough to withstand this. And that’s why I’m saying that we are going to contest in 2027. We’re ADC. We don’t buckle before dictatorship.”
Stressing on the implication of the judgement, which also affected Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) for allegedly failing to meet constitutional and electoral performance requirements, following a suit by the National Forum of Former Legislators, he said it portended grave danger.
He added: “We are not surprised. We know that the Nigerian people believe that there is a problem with the judiciary, but what we did not expect is the level of judicial rascality that was demonstrated today.
“What we are saying is that we reject it in its totality, and we are saying that the people behind this are playing with fire. Hundreds, if not thousands, have obtained nomination forms and contested elections and emerged as candidates on the platform of the ADC.”
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