Tinubu Must Improve Communication With Poor Nigerians Ahead 2027 — Shehu Sani

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has called for stronger communication of the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms to ordinary Nigerians, warning that the government’s failure to explain its policies effectively could hurt the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections.

Sani said although the administration had taken what he described as difficult but necessary economic decisions, millions of Nigerians were still struggling with the immediate impact of the reforms.

He specifically defended the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira, saying the policies were necessary to reposition the Nigerian economy despite the hardship they initially created.

“The prices of commodities rise and the cost of living also jumped and that made people to feel the pinch of the economic reform.”

According to him, the challenge for the government is to ensure that the benefits of the reforms eventually translate into better living conditions for ordinary Nigerians.

Sani said people at the grassroots were less concerned about economic statistics than whether they could afford food, pay school fees and enjoy basic services.

“The common people, they don’t care about GDP. They don’t care about all these economic indices. All they care about is to go to the market and see things affordable for them.”

He therefore urged the APC and government officials to develop a more effective communication strategy capable of explaining the reforms in simple terms to Nigerians, particularly those in rural communities.

Sani also defended the Minister of Information, saying he had conducted himself responsibly and had not resorted to propaganda in promoting the administration’s policies.

However, he argued that communication should not be left solely to the minister.

He said governors, senators and other APC officials who benefit from federal policies should publicly explain how the reforms are affecting their states and communities.

“If those who are benefiting from these huge resources don’t also want to communicate to the public then who is going to talk, nobody.”

Sani cited infrastructure projects in Kaduna State as examples of federal interventions that he said should be communicated to citizens.

He mentioned a 122-kilometre Kaduna-Birnin Gwari road project, a proposed $864 million metro project and federal universities in parts of Kaduna State.

He said such projects should be presented to Nigerians as verifiable achievements rather than through exaggerated political claims.

“You don’t have to go into propaganda. You don’t have to tell lies. But there are verifiable achievements which every Nigerian can see.”

Sani warned that the economic hardship being experienced by citizens could influence voting behaviour in 2027 if the government fails to demonstrate how its reforms are improving lives.

He said the APC could lose public support if it failed to communicate its achievements effectively, stressing that hungry Nigerians would ultimately judge the government by their living conditions rather than economic explanations.

The former senator nevertheless expressed confidence in the administration’s economic direction, arguing that the reforms could yield greater benefits if sustained and properly implemented.

He also said Nigeria’s democracy remained a work in progress and urged citizens to participate actively in elections, warning that voter apathy could undermine efforts to improve governance.