Fintiri: Tinubu’s Microeconomic Policies Rough, But Now Yielding Positive Results 

• Says PDP is depleted 

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, has described the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu as rough, but added that they are now yielding positive results.

Against this background, he said the president deserves a second term and should be elected in 2027.

Fintiri disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja when he visited the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following his recent defection.

He stated: “We have fully aligned at the moment to APC, because it’s a home return for most of us. 

“Today I’m here officially to pay a courtesy call on the chairman, national chairman and the members of the NWC. To further pledge my full loyalty to the party and to assure them that we have come to work and ensure that we also deliver on the electoral value. That we have come with it to the party in the next general election.”

Fintiri noted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) “seems to be depleted now”.

The governor added: “I think judging by the work done by Mr. President, he deserves a second time. And I think it’s going to be smooth, it’s going to be accepted by all Nigerians. Because of the microeconomic policy that he initiated, yes, it was rough for most of us because we are not used to it.

“But it has given a very positive result to us and the country is really working in the right direction. And it seems to be agreed by all of us that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you very much.”

Also, the national chairman of the party, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, described Fintiri as a political maestro, saying everybody knows the value he has brought to the politics of the North-east. 

He noted: “In terms of coordination, in terms of bringing new life to Adamawa State and in terms of project and development, what he has done is unbelievable. 

“So bringing him is one of the best actions that we are having in recent times. And we want to welcome him to where he rightly belongs.

“He is a progressive, with a progressive mind. He wouldn’t have settled anywhere else than the APC, where his policies would be best appreciated. Where he can fit into the renewal agenda of Mr. President and factor himself into our world dream.

“And most importantly, you asked a question, that we leave the opposition in 2027. It is not our duty to organize the opposition. It’s the duty of the opposition to organize themselves.

“And we’re very happy if they can’t organize themselves. Because our duty is to ensure we win the election. So we can’t go and start organizing, funding and building the opposition.

“It’s a competition. We are presenting our scorecard to Nigerians. Nigerians everywhere believe in us.”

Yilwatda said the recent by-elections and FCT Area Council election showed that Nigerians love APC.

He noted: “And you can see that across the country, all the elections that we’ve conducted, the by-elections, the off-season elections, APC has been winning left, right and centre. So what they keep on saying is that Nigerians are against APC. Who are the Nigerians? These same governors.

“These same voters. These same ordinary persons in society are the Nigerians. And we believe that Nigerians love the APC.

“And they love Mr. President. And we will soon, back in 2027, sustain the impact of the Renewal Agenda on the Nigerian economy and the Nigerian people.”

Speaking on the visit of the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu; Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim and the Special Adviser to the president, Hadiza Bala Usman, Yilwatda said it was to create a clear synergy between the party and the executive.

Yilwatda noted: “We want to ensure that because they are implementing the policies of the party, the promises we made to the people. We have a social contract between the people of Nigeria and the party. And we’re ensuring that we supervise our side functions to ensure that all those promises that we committed ourselves to the people are being implemented.

“So we’re refreshing what has been done, what hasn’t been done, how it can be done, and what we’ve done in excess. So I think basically that was just why the ministers were around for us to have that little chat together.”