ABUJA — In a move that has sparked intense public outrage across a struggling nation, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has called on Nigerians to re-elect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term to allow him to complete his ongoing economic reforms.
The declaration, made over the weekend, has been widely condemned by citizens and political analysts as a tone-deaf endorsement that completely ignores the historic food inflation, ballooning national debt, and rampant insecurity currently devastating millions of households.
The Pro-Government Stance
Speaking at a political gathering, Kalu defended the administration’s highly controversial fiscal choices, arguing that the hardships currently experienced by Nigerians are temporary pains necessary for long-term economic stability.
The Deputy Speaker insisted that the total removal of the fuel subsidy, the floating of the Naira, and various infrastructural layouts are structural foundations that require continuity. He urged the electorate to look past the immediate economic misery and return the President to office to prevent a reversal of these policies.
Outrage Over Official Insensitivity
Kalu’s call for a second term has met a wall of fierce resistance from civil society groups and opposition camps, who view the statement as an insult to the millions of citizens pushed into extreme poverty over the last three years.
Critics point out that while National Assembly leaders enjoy luxurious state-funded lifestyles, ordinary Nigerians are facing an “inhuman” cost-of-living crisis. The failure of the administration’s palliatives and the continuous fall of the local currency have turned the phrase “ongoing reforms” into a trigger for public anger.
The Security and Debt Reality
Opponents have also slammed the Deputy Speaker for trying to sell a re-election narrative while the country’s security architecture lies in ruins. The recent high-profile abductions and rural massacres in the North, combined with a national debt profile that has skyrocketed to historic heights without matching developmental projects, have left Kalu’s endorsement looking highly compromised.
With the 2027 presidential race drawing closer, analysts note that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) faces an uphill task. Attempts by legislative leaders to manufacture a success story out of a legacy of widespread economic trauma will likely harden the resolve of an exhausted electorate seeking a complete departure from the status quo.
