“No, I don’t believe we have entered the age of prosperity,”

A Labour Party chieftain, Dr Abayomi Arabambi, has questioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration that Nigeria has entered an “age of prosperity”, arguing that the statement does not adequately reflect the economic conditions being experienced by households and businesses across the country.

Arabambi made the submission while featuring on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun state, where he assessed the Federal Government’s economic reforms, the removal of petrol subsidy, unemployment, business closures and the prospects of the Nigerian economy ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Labour Party chieftain said economic prosperity should be measured by the ability of businesses to survive, the availability of jobs and the capacity of ordinary Nigerians to meet their basic needs. He therefore questioned whether the current economic realities justified the President’s description of the country as having moved beyond hardship.

“No, I don’t believe we have entered the age of prosperity,” Arabambi said. He asked how many companies had left Nigeria because of the prevailing economic environment and argued that government must create conditions that enable both formal and informal businesses to survive and expand. According to him, an economy cannot be described as prosperous if businesses are struggling to remain operational while unemployment continues to affect graduates and other job seekers.

Arabambi said government policies must strengthen the micro and macro economy and encourage businesses to invest, employ workers and remain in the country. He argued that employment generation would ultimately depend on productive economic activity rather than government palliatives.

The discussion also returned to the removal of fuel subsidy, which Arabambi said had imposed substantial pressure on Nigerians while exposing deeper weaknesses in the economy. He argued that the government must demonstrate how the savings and additional revenue generated from its reforms were being translated into better living conditions.

The Labour Party chieftain also questioned the state of infrastructure, particularly electricity, and argued that unreliable power supply continues to increase production costs for businesses. He maintained that government must address the structural problems preventing Nigerian companies from becoming competitive.

However, the comments generated a lively exchange with listeners who challenged Arabambi on both the performance of the Tinubu administration and his own position as a Labour Party chieftain. One caller from Ijebu-Ode questioned why Arabambi appeared more willing to scrutinise opposition figures than the President and asked whether Tinubu had fulfilled the promises made to Nigerians.

The caller specifically challenged Arabambi over the government’s economic policies and asked whether the President had delivered on the expectations created by his campaign. The intervention shifted part of the discussion from the 2023 election and Obi’s legal challenge to the broader question of accountability across political parties.

Another listener, Adeniyi Kolawole from Ijebu-Ode, focused on the impact of fuel subsidy removal and electricity supply. He questioned why the government could not revive at least one of the country’s refineries and improve electricity generation as part of efforts to reduce the economic burden on citizens.

“I beg to differ,” Kolawole said, arguing that government had a responsibility to ensure that citizens benefit from its economic decisions. His contribution reflected concerns raised throughout the programme over the relationship between economic reforms, fuel prices, electricity and household welfare.

Arabambi maintained that his criticism of the subsidy regime was not an attempt to dismiss the hardship being experienced by Nigerians. Rather, he said the country needed to move away from what he described as a system that encouraged corruption and instead build an economy based on domestic production, industrialisation and job creation.

The Labour Party chieftain also linked economic performance to political leadership, arguing that politicians should be judged by the practical effect of their policies on citizens. He said claims of prosperity must ultimately be tested against employment figures, business activity, purchasing power and the ability of Nigerians to meet their basic needs.

On the issue of voter registration, Arabambi dismissed suggestions that Lagos State’s position at the top of INEC’s latest voter-registration figures represented a deliberate attempt to favour the APC or President Tinubu ahead of 2027.

He said Lagos’ position was not surprising because the state had historically maintained a strong political mobilisation structure. INEC’s figures placed Lagos first with about 7.49 million registered voters, followed by Kano with about six million, while Ogun was among the top 10 states with more than three million registered voters.

“That is their speculation. There is no empirical fact for them to back it. Voter strength is earned through mobilization, not allocated,” Arabambi said, rejecting the suggestion that the distribution of registered voters amounted to a political setup for 2027.

On Labour Party’s preparation for the 2023 election. Arabambi said the party needed to improve its polling-unit structure, deploy agents effectively and establish a reliable system for documenting and collating results if it hoped to compete effectively in the next general election.

He maintained that the 2023 experience demonstrated the danger of relying on political popularity without the structures required to protect votes. According to him, parties must have representatives capable of monitoring the voting process and preserving the documentary evidence needed to challenge irregularities when necessary.

Arabambi also faced criticism from callers over his continued pursuit of the controversy surrounding Obi’s academic credentials. One WhatsApp contributor asked whether Arabambi had actually confirmed the allegation that Obi obtained admission with two sittings, questioning whether the matter was being pursued on the basis of verified facts.

Arabambi responded that his concern was not to make a judgment outside the court but to have the relevant institutions produce the documentation necessary to establish the facts. He said the matter remained before the court and that the appropriate officials would have an opportunity to provide clarification through the judicial process.

Another caller accused Arabambi of being motivated by anger against Obi and suggested that his criticism would not affect the former Anambra governor’s popularity. Arabambi rejected the suggestion and maintained that his interventions were based on his understanding of due process and the need for accountability within the Labour Party and the wider political system.

The programme ultimately brought together three issues that are likely to remain central to Nigeria’s political debate ahead of 2027: the credibility of the 2023 election, the direction of economic reforms and the future of fuel pricing. Arabambi insisted that political leaders should be judged not only by their claims but by the evidence supporting those claims and the measurable effect of their policies on Nigerians.

He called on political parties to strengthen their internal structures, improve election preparedness and focus on policies capable of creating jobs and supporting businesses. For him, the central question ahead of 2027 should not simply be who makes the strongest political promises, but which political actors can provide credible evidence of what they have done, what they intend to do and how their policies will improve the lives of Nigerians.

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