APC Leader Calls on Nigerians to Support Tinubu's Economic Plans

A member of the All Progressives Congress National Working Committee, Tolu Bankole, has urged Nigerians not to give up on the economic changes from President Bola Tinubu’s administration. He said these changes must be continued to bring real prosperity.

Bankole, who is also the APC National Leader for Persons with Disabilities and Secretary of the APC National Campaign Council for Osun, made this statement in Abuja on Thursday to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

He welcomed Tinubu back to Nigeria after his working vacation abroad. Bankole said the President’s return should bring a renewed focus on carrying out the government’s plans to ensure that economic growth leads to real improvements in Nigerians' lives.

He added that while these reforms come with sacrifices, stopping them before they take full effect could hurt the progress that has been made so far.

"Reforms are never easy, and like the President said, Nigeria is now on a steady trajectory. Nigeria recorded 3.89% real GDP growth in Q1 2026 compared to 3.13% in Q1 2025, with manufacturing growing by 3.29% year-on-year," he said.

He noted that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), during its meeting on September 21-22, lowered the Monetary Policy Rate to 23%. He pointed out that inflation is currently at 15.39%. He emphasized that these numbers show stability is returning and the economy is making progress.

Bankole also called on Nigerians to support the APC-led government in the upcoming general elections. He believes that continuing with the reforms will allow them to bring more visible benefits.

"That is why Nigerians must throw their weight behind the APC-led government in the forthcoming general elections so that the macroeconomic foundations can be fully felt in our markets, farms, factories, streets and homes," he stated.

The former lawmaker mentioned the CBN’s foreign exchange reforms. He highlighted the unification of the market and the clearance of verified backlogs as key measures that are helping to strengthen the economy.

"I have also followed the CBN’s forex reforms, the unification of the market, clearance of verified backlogs, and measures to improve transparency, which helped grow our external reserves from $33.6 billion in October 2023 to $37.9 billion by July 2024," he said.

He also pointed out that the Petroleum Industry Act, the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, and the banking recapitalization programme are vital for generating revenue, attracting investments, and building resilience.

According to him, these reforms can lead to better business stability, more investor confidence, job creation, and easier access to credit. He added that they would give the government more resources to support infrastructure and social programs.

He stressed that Nigerians need to realize that economic change takes time and requires consistency.

The APC chieftain said the main goal should be to ensure that the sacrifices made during these reforms lead to better living standards.

"I understand clearly that transformation does not happen overnight. It takes time, discipline, and consistency for foundations to become prosperity that people can feel," he said.

"The goal is simple: the sacrifices of today must lead to real, measurable prosperity for every household tomorrow.

"President Tinubu has returned to more work, not less. The task ahead is to build on what is working, fix what needs fixing, and make sure growth reaches everyone," he concluded.