Former Abia State Governor and Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s reforms, predicting that the President will win by a landslide in the 2027 presidential election.
Kalu made the remarks on Monday during an appearance on Arise PrimeTime, the flagship evening current affairs programme of Arise News Television, where he defended Tinubu’s economic reforms, stating, “Nigeria’s economy has stabilised.”
The former Senate Chief Whip, who currently chairs the Senate Committee on the South East Development Commission, defended the Tinubu administration against criticism over the economic hardship associated with its reforms.
He argued that the President had successfully stabilised Nigeria’s economy at the macroeconomic level, although more work remained to improve conditions at the household and business levels.
According to him, the immediate challenge before the administration is translating macroeconomic stability into tangible economic growth, increased manufacturing capacity, employment opportunities and improved living conditions.
“President Tinubu has been able to stabilise this economy on the macro level. What we are battling now, having stabilised the economy on the macro level, is the micro level,” he said.
He explained that the administration’s next priority should be restoring agricultural production, improving security and creating an environment in which manufacturers can access raw materials and operate at higher production capacity.
Acknowledging the difficulties confronting ordinary Nigerians, Kalu, however, insisted that the country was beginning to experience greater economic predictability, maintaining that economic reforms inevitably come with temporary difficulties.
Kalu further credited Tinubu with improving Nigeria’s international economic relationships, arguing that the country was increasingly attracting the attention of international investors.
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The Senator expressed confidence that Tinubu would secure another mandate, describing the opposition as politically disorganised and assuring all that his prediction would not go wrong.
“President Tinubu will win. President Tinubu has no competition. The APC’s electoral strength goes beyond the personality of the President. The ruling party enjoys a broad political structure and substantial grassroots support across the country.
“What we are seeing on social media is not what is on the ground. Our party is very huge, and the supporters of that party are large. We have huge numbers of people supporting this party,” he said.
He added that APC legislators and other political stakeholders were already working towards consolidating the party’s electoral strength in their respective constituencies to ensure Tinubu’s re-election, and made a passionate appeal for political stability.
“The unity of this country is very important. Let’s not question the unity. We allowed President Buhari to do his eight years and go, and we must allow Tinubu to do his eight years and go,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to assess the administration’s economic policies against the long-term objective of rebuilding the economy rather than the immediate discomfort associated with the reforms.
“You can’t do reform without people suffering. You cannot; it’s not possible,” he said.
Addressing questions surrounding his political relationship with the Igbo political establishment, his decision to remain in the All Progressives Congress, and his future political ambitions, Kalu maintained that his political decisions were guided by his assessment of national development and party loyalty rather than ethnic sentiments.
