By BONIFACE AKARAH

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has criticised the Minister of State for Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, over comments on President Bola Tinubu’s re-election prospects, urging him to focus on addressing rising living costs, poverty and the country’s mounting debt.

In a statement issued on Sunday, October 18, 2026, and signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, the association accused the minister of prioritising political projections over the economic challenges facing Nigerians.

HURIWA said Nigerians needed practical answers to the rising cost of food, transportation, electricity and other necessities rather than assurances about how international investors viewed Tinubu’s chances in the 2027 presidential election.

The association argued that the President’s political future would be determined by Nigerian voters, not foreign investors or international financial institutions.

It said it was disturbing that a senior economic official would use an international economic gathering to discuss the President’s re-election prospects instead of explaining how the government intended to reduce hardship, create jobs and strengthen household purchasing power.

“The association challenges Oyedele to explain how the administration intends to make life bearable for workers whose wages have been overwhelmed by the cost of food, transportation, electricity and other essential needs,” the statement said.

HURIWA also raised concerns about the Federal Government’s borrowing and called for greater transparency over public debt, expenditure priorities and the benefits of loans obtained under the Tinubu administration.

The group referenced concerns raised by economic commentator Dele Oye in a report published by The Guardian on May 25, 2026, arguing that the government owed Nigerians a clear account of its borrowing decisions and the projects financed with the funds.

“The government owes Nigerians a transparent account of its borrowing decisions, the projects financed with the loans and the concrete benefits those debts are delivering,” HURIWA stated.

It warned that borrowing without demonstrable improvements in citizens’ welfare could transfer a growing financial burden to future generations.

On petrol subsidy removal, the association rejected the argument that all forms of subsidy were incompatible with economic development. It maintained that public support could help protect vulnerable households from economic shocks if properly designed and transparently implemented.

According to HURIWA, corruption, waste and poor oversight—not the principle of providing assistance to citizens—were the central concerns surrounding public interventions.

The association argued that removing petrol subsidy without adequate protection for low-income households had worsened the hardship experienced by millions of Nigerians.

It also cited criticism by Professor Pat Utomi, published by TheCable on October 16, 2026, over the government’s handling of petrol prices and wages.

Utomi was quoted as asking: “But does the President care? How does he even sleep at night, knowing that millions of Nigerians are struggling to survive in a country blessed with abundant natural resources?”

HURIWA said the question reflected the frustration of citizens who believed the country’s natural resources should translate into greater economic security and improved living conditions.

The association called on the Federal Government to explain how it intended to lower living costs, expand employment, tackle corruption and ensure that public revenue produced tangible benefits for Nigerians.

It also urged the administration to consider targeted relief measures for vulnerable households while maintaining transparent fiscal management.

“The success of economic reforms must be measured by how Nigerians live, not by how international investors assess the President’s re-election chances,” the statement said.

HURIWA warned that claims of economic progress would remain difficult to sustain if millions of citizens continued to struggle to afford basic necessities, insisting that voter judgment—not investor sentiment—would determine Nigeria’s political future.