Dr. Usman Bugaje, an elder statesman and political activist, has characterized the first year of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration as a “tragedy” for Nigeria and its citizens.

He made this assertion while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today to evaluate the performance of Tinubu’s government in its inaugural year.

Bugaje, a former member of the House of Representatives, criticised the APC-led government for its failure to address any of the numerous challenges facing the country since assuming office.

He said, “As a people and as citizens, clearly, the last year has been a tragedy. There is no one problem they have been able to solve. So, I cannot see any other than low-key, I mean I give them a sense, they’re feeling the pressure, they can see the faces of Nigerians and perhaps they are trying to see how they can assuage this anger because the people are angry.”

Bugaje also noted that the policies initiated by Tinubu’s administration have exacerbated existing problems rather than alleviating them.

“And in this one year, they have clearly thrown people in the dark without… and this is the time really to admit and then seek help from those who know and Nigeria is full of people with the knowledge, the expertise and they may not be in your party and may not even be in politics.

“But this is the way that many countries have been able to get out of problems they found themselves.

“And what we are going through is not new, countries have gone through this from time to time. And what do they do? They draw from their resources, intellectual and administrative resources with people who have experiences, this country is full of them. But you see, they locked themselves up and they are not delivering. I feel uncomfortable discussing this without even defining the metrics.

“We, as a nation, should have by now developed metrics for evaluating governance. In the academic circle,… and there are statistics.”

Bugaje also lamented a recent incident to illustrate the deteriorating security situation, saying “Just this morning, I read reports of 20 individuals being picked up in a residential estate in Gwarimpa, Abuja. If even Abuja, the seat of government, isn’t safe, it sends shockwaves throughout the citizenry.” (Daily Trust)

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