Me za ka yi game da tsadar rayuwa, tsaro, da gaskiya a kashe kudin gwamnati da bashi?

The last presidential election in our country and the way it was managed by the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, leaves behind unenviable precedents, which I believe the courts have a duty to redress. Our gains in ensuring transparent elections through the deployment of technology was heavily compromised by INEC in the way it managed the last presidential election, and I am afraid that the judgement of the court as rendered by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal yesterday, failed to restore confidence in our dreams of free and fair elections devoid of human manipulations. Like I did say at the beginning of this legal battle when I instructed my lawyers to file my petition challenging the outcome of the presidential election, my ultimate goal in this pursuit is to ensure that democracy is further strengthened through the principles and processes of fair hearing.

And, that is why, I am appealing to the good people of Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states to come out in large numbers this Saturday to vote for the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party in those respective elections. In Bayelsa State, Governor Duoye Diri has given a good account of himself as a leader who is directly responsible to the people. His giant strides in the areas of infrastructure and social development speak volumes about how his government has been able to touch the lives of the people positively. In Kogi, Senator Dino Melaye has shown great capacity to stand on the side of the people and, by so doing, using every opportunity available to him to drive speedy development to his constituents. Electing him governor will afford him a bigger platform to do even more. In Imo State, too, Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu has a rich profile of a political leader who is not only in touch with the grassroots but is committed to protecting the interests of his constituents. Senator Anyanwu is a political leader who I believe has what it takes to take Imo State to a higher pedestal in good governance.

I would have led by example. Any fiscal reform to improve liquidity and the management of our fiscal resources must first eliminate revenue leakages arising from governance, including the cost of running the government and the government procurement process. I (and members of my team) would not have lived in luxury while the citizens wallow in misery. We would have communicated more effectively with the people, with civility, tact, and diplomacy. Transparent communication with the public is essential to build public trust, which in turn is important to ensure that the public understands what the government is doing. We would have consulted more with all stakeholders to learn, negotiate, adapt, and modify, among other policy goals. We would have demonstrated more empathy. My Reforms would wear a human face. We would have been more strategic in the design and implementation of reform fallout mitigating measures. I would not run a ‘palliative economy’ yet, we would have robust social protection programme that will offer genuine support to the poor and vulnerable and provide immediate comfort and security to enable them to navigate the stormy seas.

It was a memorable reunion for me and my August guest, Alhaji Mansur Hashim, whom I last met when I worked as a Nigeria Customs officer at Tin Can Island, Lagos. I am flanked on both sides by the officials of the Atiku Abubakar Community Mobilisation. -AA

Borrowing More, Delivering Less. Sadly, borrowing more, and delivering less has become the characteristics of the Tinubu-led APC administration. What makes this administration's economic record even more alarming is that, alongside all the new revenues generated, from subsidy savings, from a floating exchange rate that boosted Naira receipts on dollar-denominated revenues, and from aggressive taxation, government borrowing has also increased dramatically. Nigeria's debt profile has worsened. And yet, for two consecutive years, the government has been unable to fully fund its own budget. Nigerians are owed a full and transparent account of where all this money has gone. Increased revenues plus increased borrowing should translate into increased development. Instead, we see decaying infrastructure, underfunded public services, and a population sinking deeper into multidimensional poverty. The arithmetic simply does not add up, and that absence of accountability is an insult to every worker who pays taxes and every citizen and the generations unborn in whose names these loans are taken.

Our People First agenda is gathering momentum across Nigeria. At the heart of that agenda is my firm commitment to make life affordable again for Nigerian families. That includes restoring fuel subsidy—not the old import-dependent system, but a targeted production subsidy that supports fuel refined here in Nigeria, strengthens domestic production and is designed to reduce the price Nigerians pay at the pump. When fuel becomes more affordable, transportation costs can ease. The cost of moving food from farms to markets can come down. Small businesses can breathe again. Families can keep more of their hard-earned money. That is the purpose of our People First policy: put the welfare of Nigerians at the centre of government. The tremendous reception we received in Ondo State today, as we welcomed new members into our great party, the ADC, was deeply encouraging. The enthusiasm was unmistakable.

Meanwhile, local contractors who completed government projects remain unpaid. Many borrowed from banks to do the work and now face demands for repayment on money the government owes them. Some have lost their property; their representatives say some have died under the financial strain. Bola, why do your friends get huge contracts while Nigerian contractors have to protest to be paid for work they have already done? Pay the contractors. Publish what is owed and when it will be paid. Nigerians are entitled to know whose prosperity your government is building. Nigeria’s public debt stood at ₦166.79 trillion at the end of June, and your government is now discussing another $1.5 billion in World Bank loans. Before you borrow another dollar in the people’s name, tell them what the money already borrowed has delivered. Name the projects. Show what they cost, who benefited and who was paid. From my first day in office, I will put affordability and the protection of life at the centre of government. We will begin bringing down the costs of food, fuel and power, improving access to healthcare and education, and restoring security to communities living in fear. I will account for public spending and measure progress by what Nigerians can afford and whether they can live safely.

Then there is your party chairman’s claim that more than 10 million Nigerians received ₦75,000 each in cash transfers—at least ₦750 billion in all. Professor Yilwatda says many beneficiaries have no phones. So how did your government identify, contact and pay them, particularly in parts of Yobe and Borno where insecurity makes access difficult? Did officials deliver the money by hand? If so, who delivered it and where are the receipts? If it went into bank accounts, show the transaction records. Nigerians are not asking you to expose poor families. They are asking for an auditable account of how the money reached them. If you could find ten million people to pay, you can account for the payments. While politicians speak of hundreds of billions in relief, consider what happened at the Niger State Government House. Three people died in a stampede after a crowd gathered amid reports that ₦10,000 would be distributed. A mother, her daughter and another woman did not return home. I mourn them, and I repeat my call for a full account of how that gathering was organised.

Again, Bola, you told Nigerians that salaries and pensions are being paid “on time and in full.” Tell that to the military pensioners who protested over unpaid adjustments. Tell it to federal workers who have reported delayed salaries, wage awards and promotion arrears. A pensioner standing outside a government office to demand what is owed does not need a lecture about prosperity. Pay the outstanding entitlements, publish what remains unpaid, and stop claiming that everyone has been paid in full. A growing government account is not a recovering Nigerian. A speech about prosperity is not prosperity. Show Nigerians where the savings went. Show them the relief. Or stop calling their pain a cure. Our independence also demands political freedom. Nigerians must be free to question their leaders, organise peacefully and demand change. Public office belongs to the people. No President owns the voices of citizens.

● Reduce supply-side bottlenecks in transport, energy, and logistics that increase the cost of goods ● Coordinate fiscal and monetary policy to avoid excessive money supply growth while supporting productive sectors ● Use targeted, temporary interventions, such as strategic grain releases, to cushion extreme price spikes without distorting markets ● Promote competition and reduce monopolistic practices that artificially increase prices 3.Manage public debt responsibly without burdening citizens. We will shift from debt accumulation for consumption, to debt used strictly for productive investment that grows the economy and generates returns. ● Prioritize borrowing for infrastructure, industry, and growth-enhancing projects, not recurrent expenditure ● Improve revenue collection efficiency instead of increasing tax burdens on citizens ● Increase transparency in borrowing, ensuring Nigerians can track how debt is used and its impact ● Use public-private partnerships (PPPs) to finance major projects instead of relying solely on government borrowing

4.Reduce deficit financing and improve fiscal discipline. We will ensure that government spending is efficient, accountable, and aligned with national priorities. ● Cut the cost of governance and eliminate wasteful expenditure ● Improve public financial management and budgeting systems ● Increase non-oil revenue through economic growth, not excessive taxation ● Align spending with measurable outcomes that deliver real value to citizens 5. Reform budgeting and public procurement to deliver value for money. ● Shift to zero-based budgeting, linking government spending to our development priorities, measurable results, and public impact 29

I will manage public debt responsibly, without burdening you and your family. My plan is to shift away from debt taken on for consumption, to debt used strictly for productive investment that grows the economy and generates returns. That means prioritising borrowing for infrastructure, industry, and growth-enhancing projects, not recurrent spending, improving how revenue is collected instead of raising your tax burden, and making borrowing transparent so you can track how debt is used and its impact. I will also look to public-private partnerships to finance major projects, rather than relying solely on government borrowing.

Wa alaikumu salaam, and welcome. I'm glad to have you here. This platform, Ask AA, is one I have built as a public information portal, a place for Nigerians to engage with me directly on government policies and initiatives. It will grow into a Presidential Promise Tracker, where you can monitor the promises I make, follow how they are being implemented, and see exactly how public funds are being spent. That is how we build transparency and accountability at every level of government, not by asking you to take my word for it, but by laying the record open for you to examine yourself. I see you, and young Nigerians like you, not as a restless population to be managed or mobilised only at election time, but as the greatest national asset this country has ever produced. The innovators, the farmers, the creators, the engineers, the doctors, the teachers, the entrepreneurs, the artisans, you are the ones proving every day what the Nigerian spirit can do.

From my first day in office, I will put affordability and the protection of life at the centre of government, and I will account for public spending so that Nigerians can see what it delivers and for whom. I have come to young Nigerians not just to speak about the frustrations you already live with every day, but to offer a partnership to change the conditions that created them, and to ask you to be active participants in building the Nigeria you deserve.

On security in the north, I have said plainly that the occupation of Nigerian communities across parts of the North East, North West and North Central by bandits and terrorists, who impose levies on citizens and disrupt farming, is unacceptable. I believe that with the right political leadership, our security forces have the capacity to take on this insecurity. My plan is clear: end insecurity as part of restoring peace and economic prosperity to the country. On the cost of living, my approach is to reduce the cost of things at the source rather than let prices explode and then hand out palliatives. I will work to reduce the cost of energy so your salary buys more, reduce transport costs so less of your wage disappears just getting to work, and reduce the cost of moving food so your family spends less in the market. Under my Economic Recovery Plan, support for Nigerian crude used in domestic refining would be capped, transparently budgeted and independently audited, with a clear obligation that the benefit reaches you at the pump, not just the refinery or marketer. My aim is to make the naira in your pocket worth more and make daily living affordable again.