Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has made waves with a blunt assessment of Nigeria’s current trajectory under President Bola Tinubu, saying the country is “moving backward” and warning of looming economic failure if urgent steps are not taken.
Speaking at a policy forum in Abuja, El-Rufai didn’t mince words: “What we are seeing is not progress. It is regression. And if we don’t fix it quickly, this country will slide deeper into crisis.”
The former governor, known for his technocratic approach and frankness, criticized several aspects of Tinubu’s leadership — from economic management to policy inconsistency. He pointed to worsening inflation, a weakened naira, and declining investor confidence as evidence that the administration is struggling to steer the economy in the right direction.
“This isn’t about politics. This is about results. Nigerians are poorer, food is more expensive, and businesses are folding. We can’t pretend everything is fine,” El-Rufai said.
The comments come amid growing public frustration over the high cost of living and what many see as a lack of clear economic direction from the Tinubu administration. While some allies have praised Tinubu’s early reforms — including the removal of fuel subsidies — others argue the pain has not been matched by relief or results.
El-Rufai’s statement is likely to deepen tensions within the ruling APC, where internal disagreements have started to surface more openly.
“He’s saying what a lot of people are thinking but are too afraid to voice,” one political insider noted.
Whether Tinubu will respond directly remains to be seen, but El-Rufai’s warning is clear: unless leadership recalibrates, Nigeria risks not just stagnation — but a full-scale backslide.
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