President Bola Tinubu is slated to convene a pivotal meeting with governors representing all 36 states at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa this morning, ahead of his departure for the 37th African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
This gathering, the second since President Tinubu’s inauguration on May 29, is set against the backdrop of mounting economic and security challenges in the nation.
Recent protests erupted in Niger and Kano States, triggered by the soaring cost of living, with citizens demanding urgent solutions to the deepening economic crisis.
Notably, in Niger, a significant protest saw women blockading the Minna-Bida Road at the Kpakungu Roundabout, passionately urging President Tinubu’s administration to alleviate the severe ‘hunger in the land.’
Efforts by security forces to disperse the crowds, including deploying tear gas and making arrests, were met with strong resistance, underscoring the escalating unrest among the populace due to economic hardships.
In response, President Tinubu swiftly ordered the immediate release of over 100,000 metric tons of assorted food items from the strategic reserve and the Rice Millers Association of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, opposition governors, primarily from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have drawn parallels between Nigeria’s economic state and that of Venezuela, highlighting concerns such as hyperinflation, heightened starvation, increased crime, and elevated mortality rates.
However, the Presidency and the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) pushed back against these assertions, critiquing the performance of the opposition governors and stressing their failure to fulfill salary obligations in their respective states.
