Mr Ahmed Wadada, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for Nasarawa State, on Thursday, defended President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, stating that only “an enemy” of Nigeria would dismiss what he described as the administration’s growing economic gains.

After meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Wadada told State House Correspondents that his visit was to discuss how to contribute to the growth and development of the country in line with the President’s vision.

“My mission to the Villa as always is to see how best we will all contribute our quota to the growth and development of Nigeria which is the utmost objective of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.

With the Nasarawa governorship election around the corner, Wadada is confident of his grassroots support, and sees himself as “not a flyover politician”.

“I am not a politician who flies over. My people have been behind me. I’m down on the ground. “I know their problems and I know their aspirations, their wishes and I have, over the years, lived to their wishes and aspirations,” he said.

The APC candidate said key economic indices had improved under Tinubu’s administration, citing the rise in Nigeria’s foreign reserves, improvements in the balance of payments and trade, the stability of the exchange rate and growth in the capital market.

“If we have to and should tell the truth, let’s see all the indicators. “All the signs of economic growth and development of the system are looking glaringly promising and bright than what they were,” he said.

He said the country’s foreign reserves had almost doubled under the present administration.

“When he came in, it was under $30 billion. It was in the $28 to $29 billion range. Today we are talking about $56 billion, $57 billion in our foreign reserves.”

He also credited the stabilisation of the naira to the administration’s foreign exchange reforms.

“They have closed all the windows, they have unified it and that has helped a lot today in the stability of the naira against the dollar.

Wadada acknowledged the challenges that remained but said the Tinubu administration had made measurable progress.

“There are glaring improvements, development and growth in every sector but that is not to say all is well, “There is much more to be done.

He, however, had a go at critics of the administration.

“For anyone to sit down and wish away this administration, then that person is either ignorant, not realistic or an open enemy. Because opposition is not synonymous with being an enemy.”

On his governorship ambition, Wadada unveiled what he called the HEARTS Agenda, a development blueprint he said would build on the achievements of Governor Abdullahi Sule’s administration.

Nasarawa state is a gold mine. “I have a plan. It’s called the Wadada HEARTS Agenda.”

“Human Capital Development is what the H stands for in the acronym. Education and health care are the top priorities,” he said.

‘The main ingredients are education and Health and we shall face them squarely.

The E, he said, stands for Energy and Mineral Resources, adding that the Electricity Act has opened new avenues for the states to generate power independently.

“With the passing of the Electricity Act and the assent given by the President to it, it opened up the corridors of power generation by each state. Every state has one resource or the other which can be used in generating energy.”

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He said Nasarawa was the hub of mineral resources in Nigeria, citing recent investments in lithium processing.

“When you talk of mineral resources, you are talking of Nasarawa State. “All the first and second lithium processing plants in Nigeria are in Nasarawa State.”

According to him, his administration would build on the foundation laid by Governor Abdullahi Sule.

“We will pick up from where the administration of Engineer Abdullahi Sule left.

“The A in HEARTS stands for Agriculture and Green Economy, and we have plans to establish three agricultural hubs across the state’s senatorial districts based on their comparative advantages,” Wadada said.

“We are planning to set up three agricultural hubs in the state. “We will have a hub for each senatorial district based on its competitive agricultural advantage.

The other pillars of the agenda, he said, were Rural and Urban Development, Trade and Investment and Security.

He also highlighted Nasarawa’s strategic proximity to the Federal Capital Territory, calling it one of the state’s greatest economic assets.

“As far as the FCT is concerned, there is no way you can wish away Nasarawa State.

Wadada said the achievements of the Sule administration had raised the bar of expectations for whoever succeeds him.

“The present administration in Nasarawa State has raised the bar and widened and deepened the scope of what Nasarawa State is. There can be no more mediocrity after A.A. Sule.

“Anyone doing that will be doing it at his own peril because Nasarawa state is now much more heard, much more seen and much more respected. With all respect and humility, I am expected to do so much and by the grace of God we will deliver.

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