Makinde faults President’s economic claims in Mecca, says 140m Nigerians live in poverty
President Bola Tinubu, alongside Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and his Yobe State counterpart, Mai Mala Buni, has sought divine intervention for Nigeria’s peace, unity, stability and prosperity during prayers inside the Holy Kaaba in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Tinubu made this known yesterday in a post on his verified X handle, @officialABAT, following the conclusion of his visit to the Gulf kingdom.
But the Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation (MDPCO) faulted the President’s claim that Nigeria’s economy had emerged from the “dark tunnel”. It insisted that millions of Nigerians remain trapped in poverty amid worsening economic hardship.
The governors said they used the rare spiritual opportunity to intercede for the country, expressing hope that their prayers would attract divine blessings at a critical period in Nigeria’s history.
Speaking in separate interviews after gaining access to Islam’s holiest sanctuary alongside the President during his Umrah pilgrimage, they described the experience as a lifetime achievement and an extraordinary privilege.
Governor Sani said the opportunity was particularly significant given the country’s need for enduring peace, national cohesion and stability.
According to him, the prayers focused primarily on Nigeria’s unity, peace, and harmony, and expressed confidence that their supplications would be answered.
“Actually, this is a lifetime wish for every Muslim because it is a rare privilege. What is more important is securing this very rare opportunity to enter the Kaaba and pray at this critical moment in our country’s history.
“We seized the opportunity, most importantly, to pray for our country, to pray for the unity of our country and to pray for the peace of our country. I believe this is the right time for that,” he said.
The Kaduna governor expressed appreciation to Tinubu for extending the rare privilege to members of his delegation, describing the gesture as an indication of the President’s leadership and consideration for others.
Similarly, Governor Buni described entering the Kaaba as a remarkable spiritual milestone, noting that the privilege was a rare honour granted only by divine providence.
He said the opportunity also enabled them to seek God’s blessings for Nigeria, their respective states and the well-being of their people.
President Tinubu and members of his delegation were granted the rare privilege of entering the Holy Kaaba by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
The President expressed gratitude to the Saudi monarch for the honour, saying he also used the spiritual exercise to pray for Nigeria’s peace, unity, development and prosperity, while reaffirming his commitment to building a stronger nation and securing a better future for Nigerians.
MDPCO, in a statement yesterday by its Director of Strategic Communications, Richard Ihediwa, described the President’s assessment of the economy as disconnected from the realities confronting citizens.
Tinubu had reportedly made the remarks while in Mecca, where he also acknowledged that power comes from God, who can give and take it from whomever He wills.
However, MDPCO argued that the President’s optimism about the economy was contradicted by persistent poverty, rising living costs, business closures, unemployment and worsening food insecurity.
It claimed that more than 140 million Nigerians, representing about 63 per cent of the population, were living in abject poverty, while over 60 million faced acute food insecurity.
The organisation also alleged that hundreds of businesses were shutting down daily under the weight of the administration’s economic policies and taxation, leaving many Nigerians struggling to meet their basic needs.
It further expressed concern over insecurity across the country, arguing that attacks and other security challenges had restricted citizens’ movements, disrupted farming and commercial activities, and compounded the nation’s economic difficulties.
On the cost of living, the group said petrol prices ranging between N1,500 and N2,000 per litre in parts of the country further weakened household purchasing power and increased the cost of doing business.
The organisation also cited Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit, which it estimated at $2.3 trillion, arguing that the scale of the challenge required sustained investment and a clear development strategy.
It questioned the administration’s borrowing policy, alleging that the growing debt burden was mortgaging the country’s future, with insufficient evidence of corresponding investments in productive projects and programmes.
MDPCO urged the President, in the overriding interest of the country, to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race and support the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Makinde.