TheCable

Salihu Lukman, a former vice-chair of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the north-west, says President Bola Tinubu should be responsive to the current reality.

In a statement on Sunday, Lukman said Nigerians are becoming impoverished and can no longer afford basic medication.

The APC chieftain said he is heartbroken because the performance of Tinubu in the last 10 months betrays all the expectations “we had”.

“President Asiwaju Tinubu, APC leaders and Nigerian politicians can do better,” he said.

“How can anyone with the faintest of conscience live a normal life with a reality whereby the same citizens who elected them as leaders are impoverished by decisions we took as a ruling party?

“Is President Asiwaju Tinubu at all aware that the majority of our citizens, including relatively high-income earners cannot afford medication when they are sick?

“The belief of many of us, and indeed most Nigerians, is that President Asiwaju Tinubu is a responsive politician who will not recklessly take any decision without weighing its consequences on the lives of citizens.

“Being human, our expectation is that, if decisions are taken with grave consequences such as withdrawal of subsidy and floating the exchange rate, being the responsive leader he is, it is our expectation he will quickly review and recalibrate such decisions with the overall objective of protecting the welfare of citizens. That is what progressive politics is all about.

“May God Almighty touch the heart of President Asiwaju Tinubu and all APC leaders, and indeed all Nigerian politicians, to understand that millions of Nigerians are confronted with life threatening reality today.

“Just like we asked for the votes of citizens during elections, citizens are asking leaders, especially President Asiwaju Tinubu, to be responsive to today’s reality.”

Lukman added that it is difficult to predict where the country is headed under Tinubu.