Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, has rated President Bola Tinubu as the most renowned democrat in Nigeria.
Bagudu gave the rating at the Progressive Governors Forum–Renewed Hope Ambassadors interactive session with the Diplomatic Community in Abuja on Monday.
The former governor of Kebbi State, while defending his rating of President Tinubu said that his democratic disposition has resulted in stepping on many toes, risking relationships with some brothers in the sub-region as the Chairman of ECOWAS.
He also argued that under his watch he has ensured that the court system in Nigeria has remained independent, recalling how he emerged the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) through fierce contest primaries involving several aspirants.
The Minister insisted that he did not only fight for democracy, but has also consistently promoted it, adding: “Mr President, as a firm believer in our federalism, has continuously engaged with state governors, either bilaterally or through the National Economic Council.”
“In fact, he underscored the importance of the federating units by reaching agreements with them on how to sustain the reforms.
“As you will hear from the Renewed Hope Ambassadors and their team, the results achieved have encouraged some governors who were previously not in the ruling party to join Mr President in ensuring the sustainability of the reforms.
“Our Constitution is very clear about our democratic form of governance, and Mr President is one of the most renowned democrats in the country. Not only has he fought for democracy, but he has consistently promoted it,” he said.
While defending further, he explained that: “In 2022, he emerged as the presidential candidate of our party through fiercely contested primaries involving several aspirants.
“Since he was sworn in as President, we have seen different elections won by both the ruling party and opposition parties.
As Chairman of ECOWAS, he even risked relationships with some of our brothers in the sub-region because of his unapologetic commitment to democracy.
“Our court system has remained independent under his leadership. We have seen judgments delivered against the ruling party. Some of us recall painfully how, despite believing we had won elections in Zamfara, Kano and Plateau states, the Supreme Court ruled otherwise. Yet, Mr President accepted the judgments and encouraged all of us to do the same,” he said.
Speaking further, Bagudu said though the administration is not where it ought to be, blame games do not however deliver results.
“This administration campaigned and won the 2023 election on the Renewed Hope Agenda, which is a clarion call to mobilise all Nigerians around a transformative agenda rooted in our Constitution and reflective of both our realities and aspirations.”
“We are a constitutional federation, a constitutional democracy, a constitutional market economy, and a constitutional rule-based country.
“The agenda drew attention to the reality that we were not where we ought to be, and that blame games do not deliver results. Thus, the need for bold, courageous, tough but necessary choices to shepherd the economy in the right direction, all rooted in our Constitution.
“In the last three years, President Tinubu has led the implementation of the agenda with outstanding results, which shall be conveyed in the budget message by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors and the Director-General of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, Governor Hope Uzodimma,” he said.
