Reforms: I was well-prepared to run Nigeria but Tinubu wasn’t – Atiku

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar says he was prepared to run Nigeria but president Bola Tinubu was not.

“I was prepared for reform fallouts. Tinubu wasn’t. However, it is not too late for him to change course and do what is right for the good of our people and our nation,” said the former vice-president in a statement on Wednesday as his former ally Mr Tinubu marked one year in office as president.

Mr Abubakar added, “It is clear from the foregoing that President Tinubu has an exaggerated understanding of the efficacy of his policies and was not ready for the potential fallouts. Tinubu and his team are not exactly sure of where the reform process is and what the next steps are.

Mr Abubakar stressed that Mr Tinubu’s performance in the last one year has left Nigeria in shambles.

Speaking on the difference between himself and Mr Tinubu, Mr Abubakar said, “I have always been a reform advocate. The Nigerian economy certainly requires a large dose of reform measures to accelerate its transformation after many years of lacklustre growth.

“The difference is that I understand the appropriate reforms to undertake and what steps to take per time to mitigate their negative impact. In my Policy Document, I had anticipated that the withdrawal of subsidy and unification of exchange rates could, in the absence of fundamental interventions, impact negatively on micro and small enterprises in the informal sector and on the medium to large enterprises in the formal sector.”

The former vice-president noted that “time is running out for the government, and Tinubu must act fast to save the economy.”