You Weakened Naira, Stop Claiming Credit for Recovery — Makinde Campaign to Tinubu

The campaign organisation of Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate Seyi Makinde has criticised President Bola Tinubu over claims of economic recovery, accusing his administration of weakening the naira and seeking credit for improvements in selected economic indicators.

The Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation (MDPCO) argued that the government’s emphasis on the country’s economic indicators did not reflect the financial difficulties experienced by many Nigerians.

The criticism forms part of the campaign organisation’s wider challenge to Tinubu’s assertion that Nigeria’s economy has emerged from a “dark tunnel.”

In a statement issued through its Director of Strategic Communications, Richard Nnanna Ihediwa, the organisation said improvements in financial indicators would mean little unless they translated into better living conditions, stronger purchasing power and greater economic opportunities.

The campaign has also criticised the administration’s handling of the naira and its presentation of rising foreign reserves as evidence of economic progress.

In previous remarks, Makinde accused the Federal Government of using the growth in foreign reserves to create a misleading impression of recovery while millions of citizens continued to struggle with hunger and rising living costs.

The campaign organisation cited poverty, food insecurity, unemployment and business closures among the challenges it said remained unresolved. It also questioned the government’s borrowing policy, demanding clearer evidence that loans were producing measurable benefits for Nigerians.

The criticism comes amid continuing debate over the effects of the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, including changes to foreign-exchange management and the removal of the petrol subsidy.

The government has defended its policies, pointing to improvements in some macroeconomic indicators and arguing that reforms are necessary to stabilise the economy and strengthen public finances.

However, the pace at which those improvements translate into relief for households and businesses remains a major issue in public debate.

Makinde’s campaign has called for a comprehensive economic reset, proposing measures focused on production, job creation, affordable living, security, education and accountable governance.

The exchange highlights the growing role of economic performance in political debate ahead of the 2027 general election, with the opposition campaign demanding that claims of recovery be assessed against the everyday experiences of Nigerians.