Following the Presidency’s critical response to his claim that his policies as president would have worked better for Nigeria, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar insisted on Monday that the country’s problems are caused by a lack of planning on the part of President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement he personally signed, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election alleged that the president assumed power hastily, without a coherent plan.
He maintained that, unlike the president, his team designed a recovery plan with significant input from Nigerians.
The statement read: “I have taken note of the initial responses highlighting the striking disparity between President Tinubu’s faltering economic policies and the alternatives I have proposed.
It is exciting to witness such a vigorous debate on these critical matters, and I sincerely hope this discourse will ultimately benefit Nigeria and its citizens.
“Like many fellow Nigerians, I firmly believe we find ourselves in this current economic turmoil due to the Tinubu administration’s hasty ascent to power, devoid of a coherent plan.
“In stark contrast, my team not only devised a comprehensive Recovery Plan but also welcomed significant input from Nigerians, ensuring that our approach was inclusive and well-considered.
“Isn’t it fascinating how the so-called ‘tested’ Tinubu administration’s only policy response seems to be a national prayer led by the First Lady and the NSA? Just a mere 24 hours after I proposed my alternative solutions! What a bold strategy!
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“In my humble interpretation of the scriptures, prayer indeed serves as a noble path to follow. However, the sacred texts also counsel us to engage in diligent labor and hard work.
“It is therefore uncharitable for Tinubu’s team to claim that my proposals remain untested. What remains unproven is the erratic, trial-and-error nature of the policies so far implemented by this administration, which elucidates our present predicament.
“Let us not forget that under our economic stewardship between 1999 and 2003, Nigeria soared to the pinnacle of Africa’s economies, while their administration has relegated us to a disheartening fourth position.
“The average GDP rate under the Obasanjo administration, which I served in, was 6.59% and peaked at 15% in 2002; it was 7.98% under the late Yar’Adua administration and 4.8% under Jonathan, compared to the dismal 2.8% of the so-called ‘tested’ Tinubu era. Enough of the pains of the shambolic ‘bolekaja’ economic policy prescriptions!
“We cannot hope to tax our way out of the economic quagmire wrought by these misguided experimental policies of a novice administration. Numerous nations, such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Monaco (an EU territory with a zero-income tax policy), among many others, have emerged as economic powerhouses by fostering growth through lower taxation. Why, then, are we fixated on inflicting further hardship upon an already struggling populace?
“One can only speculate that Tinubu’s government is anchored to a mere Tea-plan, which can only lead to a T-pain.
“Furthermore, let me emphasize that the citizens who cast their votes in the 2023 presidential election are well aware that I did not lose; rather, we find ourselves in this predicament because the election was criminally stolen from the Nigerian people.”
