The Presidency and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) were at odds yesterday over comments by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, on the impact of the Federal Government’s economic reforms.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, told The Nation that the APM had misunderstood Bagudu’s remarks at the Federal Appointees Strategic Summit in Abuja on Wednesday, insisting they did not amount to an admission that President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies had failed.
Bagudu had acknowledged that the administration did not fully anticipate the scale of global economic turbulence and its effect on Nigeria, but maintained that the removal of petrol subsidy and reform of the foreign exchange market were necessary to correct longstanding distortions and had strengthened the fiscal position of all three tiers of government.
But the APM, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf, described the minister’s comments as a ‘gross admission of incompetence,’ alleging that the government had ignored warnings about the effects of the reforms and failed to cushion their impact on households and businesses. The party said this meant Tinubu should apologise to Nigerians and step aside from the 2027 presidential race, urging support instead for its candidate, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.
The exchange came days after the APM received about 2,000 defectors in Oyo State at the weekend and unveiled Senator Ibrahim Adekunle as its candidate for the Osun Central senatorial seat ahead of the 2027 elections. Makinde, represented by APM Elders Forum member Tunde Tijani, urged young Nigerians to take greater control of the political process and pledged that the party would replicate Oyo State’s road construction approach nationwide if elected, while Adekunle urged youths to stop seeking favours from office holders, saying he would represent their interests in the Senate.
Osun APM Chairman Adewale Adebayo said the unveiling marked the start of the party’s mobilisation for its other National and State Assembly candidates in the state, stressing that representation for Osun Central should translate into development rather than merely occupying a seat.
Separately, the party called on the Federal Government to publish full details of allocations, projects, locations, costs and contractors linked to the Regional Development Commissions, saying it had no objection to the funding but wanted clarity on the timing of President Tinubu’s disbursement directive, and urged citizens and agencies to report any attempt to improperly influence the use of public funds.