From Umar Danladi Ado,Sokoto
The All Progressives Congress (APC), Sokoto State chapter, has faulted comments credited to the Minority Leader of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Abubakar Magaji (ADC, Bodinga North), that he has not seen any significant development under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
This rebuttal was contained in a rejoinder issued on Thursday in Sokoto by the Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Mohammed Umar.
It said that while criticism of government is part of democratic responsibility, particularly on issues such as insecurity, infrastructure, unemployment and the rising cost of living, such criticism should not be presented as a complete account of what has happened since May 2023.
According to Umar, there is a clear difference between identifying shortcomings and claiming that virtually nothing has been achieved, adding that the record of the Tinubu administration contains measurable developments in economic management, infrastructure, education, energy, transportation, social protection and security.
Umar said the lawmaker did not look at the economic impact of the policies of the administration because of cynicism, noting that the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its June 2026 assessment, reported that Nigeria’s reforms over the preceding three years had produced improved macroeconomic outcomes and strengthened the country’s resilience.
According to him, the IMF reported real GDP growth of about four per cent in 2025, while gross international reserves rose to about $46 billion at the end of 2025, compared with $40 billion a year earlier.
The APC also maintained that the World Bank had reported that Nigeria’s real GDP grew by 4.2 per cent in the first half of 2026, compared with 3.9 per cent during the corresponding period of the previous year, with inflation declining substantially from its 2025 peak.
Umar argued that reforms normally entail challenges, and acknowledging those challenges should not require pretending that the economy has recorded no measurable improvement.
He further stated that infrastructure has received unprecedented attention, citing figures released by the Federal Government which showed that more than 2,700 kilometres of highways and major roads were under construction, reconstruction or rehabilitation as of May 2026.
These include the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road and the East-West Road, among others.
On insecurity, the APC spokesman said the challenge did not begin with the Tinubu administration, noting that for over a decade, Nigeria has grappled with insurgency, banditry and kidnapping, particularly in the North-East and North-West.
He said what has changed under President Tinubu is the renewed vigour and strategic direction of the response, with increased funding to the Army and security agencies, strengthened intelligence sharing and coordination, as well as the establishment of a dedicated theatre of command and forward operating bases in the North-West.
He said the security challenges in Sokoto and neighbouring states are complex and rooted in decades of neglect, adding that reducing them to a simple indictment of one administration betrays either misunderstanding of the problem or a deliberate distortion for political gain.
Umar also highlighted the efforts of Sokoto State Governor, Dr. Ahmed Aliyu, who he said provided security agencies with over 200 patrol vehicles, two armoured bullet-proof vehicles, 100 Buffalo Armoured Personnel Carrier vehicles and 200 motorcycles, as well as 3,200 security hardware, 2,000 bullet-proof vests, 200 night vision goggles, 100 thermal vision scopes and other gadgets.
According to him, the governor also facilitated the full operationalisation of the Nigerian Air Force Base, Sokoto, upgraded the DSS tracker from 4G to 5G technology, established the Sokoto State Community Guard Corps equipped with 40 Hilux vans and 700 motorcycles, and facilitated the establishment of military barracks in Illela and Police Mobile Barracks in Tara village, Sabon Birni Local Government Area.
He said to keep saying that one has seen no significant development or effort on security requires a much stronger argument than political dissatisfaction.
Umar added that the lawmaker needs to purge himself of cynicism and bigotry, stressing that political criticism is legitimate but does not become fact merely because it is delivered from the floor of a House of Assembly.
Umar declared: “So, whatever the Minority Leader blindly alluded to are just mere unfounded insinuations that hold no water, hence are null, void and inconsequential.
“Therefore, the people of Sokoto who are discerning should ignore such obnoxious rantings and have renewed confidence in APC and its flag bearers at all levels.”
