BY TAIBAT UMMI YAKUBU

An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain and northern supporter of President Bola Tinubu, Honourable Musa Sarkin Arda, has defended the president’s economic policies despite the hardship they have triggered, insisting that Nigerians should judge his administration by its performance rather than regional or religious affiliations.

Arda made the remarks during an interview on Arise News on Friday, acknowledging that the removal of the petrol subsidy and the harmonisation of the naira exchange rate had created serious difficulties for Nigerians. However, he maintained that the reforms were necessary and urged citizens to look beyond the immediate economic pain when evaluating the government.

According to the APC chieftain, public dissatisfaction with Tinubu’s administration is understandable, given the impact of the policies on households and businesses. He nevertheless argued that misconceptions and a lack of understanding of the reforms had contributed to some of the criticism directed at the president.

“President Bola Tinubu should be assessed based on the best performance of Nigeria. Of course, he’s not very popular with some people now because of the reform policies he has brought,” Arda said, acknowledging that many Nigerians were unhappy with the prevailing situation.

He added that the economic difficulties associated with the reforms were evident across the country and should not be dismissed by the president’s supporters.

“President Bola Tinubu is being accused not only in the North, but in the entire federation, because the reforms he has brought have brought some difficulties, which all of us are witnesses to, and we cannot shy away from that one. It’s a fact. But there’s great misperception and misunderstanding,” he said.

Beyond the debate over the economy, Arda called for a change in the way Nigerians evaluate political leaders, arguing that ethnicity, religion and geographical origin should not determine public support or opposition.

He urged citizens to focus on the character, record and ability of political office holders to deliver good governance, rather than allowing regional loyalties to influence their assessment of national leadership.

The APC chieftain also stressed the need to strengthen national unity, saying Nigerians should see themselves first as citizens of one country and work towards a common future, regardless of where they come from.

“I’ve always been of the view that issues shouldn’t be described in primordial sentiments—North, South, religion, this, this, and that,” he said.

Arda maintained that Nigeria’s political discussions should centre on the country's collective interests, urging citizens to move away from divisions that could undermine national progress.

“So with this, I want to appeal to Nigerians to not always let the political debate depend on where they come from. Look at the people and their performances,” he added.

His comments come amid continuing debate over the effects of the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidies and changes to the foreign exchange system, which have affected living costs across the country.

While the APC chieftain maintained that the policies were necessary, his remarks also acknowledged the hardship Nigerians continue to experience, placing the question of economic recovery and government performance at the centre of the debate over the administration’s record.An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain and northern supporter of President Bola Tinubu, Honourable Musa Sarkin Arda, has defended the president’s economic policies despite the hardship they have triggered, insisting that Nigerians should judge his administration by its performance rather than regional or religious affiliations.

Arda made the remarks during an interview on Arise News on Friday, acknowledging that the removal of the petrol subsidy and the harmonisation of the naira exchange rate had created serious difficulties for Nigerians. However, he maintained that the reforms were necessary and urged citizens to look beyond the immediate economic pain when evaluating the government.

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According to the APC chieftain, public dissatisfaction with Tinubu’s administration is understandable, given the impact of the policies on households and businesses. He nevertheless argued that misconceptions and a lack of understanding of the reforms had contributed to some of the criticism directed at the president.

“President Bola Tinubu should be assessed based on the best performance of Nigeria. Of course, he’s not very popular with some people now because of the reform policies he has brought,” Arda said, acknowledging that many Nigerians were unhappy with the prevailing situation.

He added that the economic difficulties associated with the reforms were evident across the country and should not be dismissed by the president’s supporters.

“President Bola Tinubu is being accused not only in the North, but in the entire federation, because the reforms he has brought have brought some difficulties, which all of us are witnesses to, and we cannot shy away from that one. It’s a fact. But there’s great misperception and misunderstanding,” he said.

Beyond the debate over the economy, Arda called for a change in the way Nigerians evaluate political leaders, arguing that ethnicity, religion and geographical origin should not determine public support or opposition.

He urged citizens to focus on the character, record and ability of political office holders to deliver good governance, rather than allowing regional loyalties to influence their assessment of national leadership.

The APC chieftain also stressed the need to strengthen national unity, saying Nigerians should see themselves first as citizens of one country and work towards a common future, regardless of where they come from.

“I’ve always been of the view that issues shouldn’t be described in primordial sentiments—North, South, religion, this, this, and that,” he said.

Arda maintained that Nigeria’s political discussions should centre on the country's collective interests, urging citizens to move away from divisions that could undermine national progress.

“So with this, I want to appeal to Nigerians to not always let the political debate depend on where they come from. Look at the people and their performances,” he added.

His comments come amid continuing debate over the effects of the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidies and changes to the foreign exchange system, which have affected living costs across the country.

While the APC chieftain maintained that the policies were necessary, his remarks also acknowledged the hardship Nigerians continue to experience, placing the question of economic recovery and government performance at the centre of the debate over the administration’s record.