Makinde Campaign Questions Tinubu’s N166.7trn Debt, Demands Repayment Plan

The Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation (MDPCO) has challenged President Bola Tinubu to explain how his administration intends to repay Nigeria’s mounting debt, accusing him of presenting a 2027 election manifesto without concrete plans to tackle the country’s economic challenges.

The campaign organisation also questioned the feasibility of Tinubu’s promises of stronger economic growth, cheaper living costs, improved electricity supply and one million export-linked jobs, insisting that the President’s record in office undermines his latest commitments.

In a statement on Tuesday, MDPCO’s Director of Strategic Communications, Richard Ihediwa, said the President’s manifesto failed to provide an operational strategy for revamping the productive sector, creating jobs, reducing government borrowing and repaying the N166.7 trillion debt accumulated under his administration.

The organisation described Tinubu’s manifesto as a “compendium of lies and deceit”, arguing that the administration had failed to fulfil its promises to Nigerians in nearly four years and could not be trusted to implement another set of ambitious projections.

It specifically questioned how the President intended to deliver lower living costs while Nigerians grappled with petrol prices of about N1,400 per litre and a N70,000 minimum wage that, according to the organisation, could barely sustain an average household for a week.

MDPCO further accused the APC-led government of imposing excessive taxes and economic burdens on citizens while allowing a privileged political elite to enjoy extravagant lifestyles.

Beyond the economic criticisms, the organisation accused the APC of appropriating the manifesto ideas of its presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, particularly his Reset Nigeria vision and the campaign slogan of building “a Nigeria that works for all Nigerians”.

It described the alleged appropriation as an admission that Makinde’s vision offered a better alternative to Tinubu’s leadership, but argued that the President lacked the capacity, integrity and ideological commitment to translate the ideas into reality.

Tinubu’s manifesto reportedly promises six per cent annual economic growth, 10,000 megawatts of electricity, 200,000 homes, an industrial hub in each geopolitical zone, one million export-linked jobs for young Nigerians and the recruitment of 20,000 additional teachers.

However, MDPCO maintained that the promises lacked credibility because of what it described as the administration’s poor implementation record and absence of a clear economic recovery strategy.

Contrasting the two political platforms, the organisation said Makinde’s Reset Nigeria philosophy prioritised human welfare, employment, purchasing power and shared prosperity over government revenue and economic statistics.

It urged Nigerians to reject Tinubu’s re-election bid and support Makinde, who is contesting on the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), in the January 16, 2027 presidential election.