Some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress have defended President Bola Tinubu economic reforms despite mounting hardship, insisting that the policies have laid the foundation for long term prosperity and should be allowed to deliver their full benefits.

The President Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and member representing Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin, made the case on Tuesday at the presentation of the APC 2027 manifesto, titled From Reforms to Prosperity, in Abuja. The party leaders urged Nigerians to support the administration agenda ahead of the 2027 general elections, arguing that its economic policies and infrastructure investments were beginning to produce results.

Gbajabiamila acknowledged that the removal of petrol subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange system had placed considerable pressure on households but maintained that Tinubu was right to undertake the difficult decisions. He said now, those decisions have placed real pressure on households. We must speak honestly about that experience, because the people living through it deserve to be heard, and nobody should have to pretend that it is easy, that life is easy at the moment.

He argued that leaving the previous economic arrangements untouched would have continued to undermine the country capacity to invest in its future.

He said Tinubu chose to govern as a leader rather than a politician by undertaking reforms whose benefits might not immediately translate into electoral gains. In his words, the difference between a politician and a leader is that whereas the politician thinks about the next election, a leader thinks about the next generation.

He said the administration next responsibility was to ensure that the opportunities created by the reforms translated into tangible improvements in Nigerians living conditions.

Gbajabiamila identified the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, tax reforms and the Electricity Act as some of the policies intended to widen opportunities, reduce financial burdens and improve public services. He said the APC manifesto also contained commitments to halve the number of out of school children by 2031, install an additional seven million electricity meters and expand health insurance coverage.

He added that the document would require the government to publish targets, identify officials responsible for delivering them and regularly report progress to Nigerians.

Also speaking, Jibrin defended the administration infrastructure record, particularly its road and rail projects in Northern Nigeria. He argued that previous administrations, some of which spent between three and eight years in office, failed to complete major road projects such as the Abuja Kaduna and Kaduna Kano highways.

He said the Tinubu administration had completed the Kaduna Kano Road within three years and was making progress on other key projects. He said the projects showed that the administration was committed to infrastructure development across the country.

The defence of the reforms comes as Nigerians continue to debate whether improvements in key economic indicators are translating into better living conditions for households. Critics of the administration point to rising food prices, high transport costs and pressure on household incomes since the removal of subsidy and the unification of the exchange rate.

Supporters, however, argue that the reforms were necessary to stop wasteful spending, stabilise the economy and create room for investment in education, health and infrastructure.

For the APC, the manifesto presentation was an opportunity to set the tone for its 2027 campaign. Party leaders say the next phase of the administration will focus on turning stability into prosperity through jobs, enterprise and expanded services.

Whether voters will accept that argument will depend largely on how quickly they begin to feel the benefits in their daily lives. For now, Gbajabiamila and Jibrin insist that the foundation has been laid and that the reforms should be allowed to run their course.