A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ismaeel Buba Ahmed has called for more effective communication from President Bola Tinubu to address public concerns about the controversial Tax Reform Bills.
Speaking on the new season of the Mic On Podcast with Seun Okinbaloye, Ahmed emphasized the need for transparency in the administration’s economic reforms, as he also stressed the importance of wider consultations with stakeholders and citizens to build trust and dispel misconceptions. “The president must find a way to communicate with people. He needs to speak about the economic situation and his drive to make sure these things change. The bill, as far as I’m concerned, was a good bill. Are there places where there are reservations? Yes! But I think the situation can be salvaged because there is nothing in that bill that is inimical.”
On allegations of a cabal in Tinubu’s administration, Ahmed dismissed the claims, asserting that the president operates independently as his own central decision-maker. “I don’t think there is a cabal in this government. I think the president is his own cabal. President Bola Tinubu considers himself a transformational president, who would take harder decisions than other presidents had easily sidestepped.”
He also acknowledged the dissatisfaction among party members over President Bola Tinubu’s decision to appoint individuals from the opposition to key positions, noting that while the president likely did not intend to undermine party members, the decision has left many feeling demoralized, discouraged, and disregarded. “I think the president knows that.”
Meanwhile, he also addressed the potential alliance between opposition figures, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi, warning that such a coalition could pose a serious threat to APC’s prospects in the 2027 general elections. “If you look at the votes of Atiku plus Obi in the 2023 presidential election, we could have easily lost the election if they are put together. God forbid they come together. We don’t want them to.”
Reflecting on APC’s recent political challenges in Kano, Ahmed expressed optimism about the party’s recovery after its loss in the 2023 governorship election to Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). “We will recover from the blow that Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and his team dealt us.”
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