🗞️Assessing Nigeria’s Current Administration under Bola Ahmed Tinubu: Challenges and Initiatives
Since the assumption of Bola Ahmed Tinubu‘s administration, Nigeria has witnessed a flurry of headlines, raising questions about his suitability for the presidency. While some consider him the right man for the job, others question his qualifications. These debates have been fueled by trends on social media platforms like Twitter, where hashtags such as #DisqualifyTinubuNow and discussions on his past drug case have gained traction. In this blog post, we will delve into recent developments, including electoral controversies, travel restrictions on Nigerians, and the government’s efforts to address rising food costs and boost agriculture. Let’s explore the current state of affairs in Nigeria.
Electoral Controversies: The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) responded to claims that Bola Ahmed Tinubu needed to secure 25% of votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to be declared Nigeria’s president-elect. INEC clarified that the requirement for winning the presidential election is obtaining 25% of votes in two-thirds of the 36 states and the FCT. Tinubu emerged as the president-elect with a total of 8.8 million votes, surpassing the required threshold in 29 states. However, he secured approximately 18.99% of the votes in the FCT. As a result, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party filed a joint petition challenging Tinubu’s victory.
Travel Restrictions and Criminal Activities: Seychelles recently imposed extensive restrictions on Nigerians seeking to travel to their country due to concerns over criminal activities, specifically drug trafficking and online fraud syndicates. These restrictions have led to discussions and controversy on social media, with some Nigerians claiming they have been denied visas without valid reasons. While the Seychelles authorities have emphasized that their concerns are related to criminal activities and not a general problem with Nigerians or Nigeria as a whole, the alleged involvement of President Bola Tinubu in the drug business has raised further questions.
Government Initiatives to Address Rising Food Costs: Recognizing the impact of high food prices on citizens, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has introduced several initiatives to ensure affordable and sufficient food for all Nigerians. These initiatives include prioritizing food and water availability and affordability in the National Security Council’s agenda, implementing measures to reverse the inflationary trend, and revitalizing the agricultural sector using savings from fuel subsidy removal. The government has also intervened by providing free fertilizers and grains to farmers and households, ensuring sufficient irrigation for year-round farming, and establishing a National Commodity Board to review food prices and maintain a strategic food reserve.
Assessing the VAT Direct Initiative: To bolster tax collection from the informal sector, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government has introduced the Value Added Tax (VAT) Direct Initiative. While this move aims to generate revenue for infrastructure development and social amenities, concerns have been raised regarding the timing and priorities of this decision, considering the country’s governance and corruption challenges.
Conclusion: The administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Nigeria has faced scrutiny and controversies since its inception. The electoral challenges, travel restrictions, and rising food costs have raised concerns among citizens. However, the government’s initiatives to address these issues, including efforts to boost agriculture and alleviate the economic burden on families affected by the fuel subsidy removal, highlight their commitment to improving the situation. As Nigerians continue to engage in discussions and debates, it remains to be seen how the Tinubu administration will navigate these challenges and fulfill its promises to the people.
