A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, has warned that Nigerians may strongly express their anger at the ballot box in 2027 if economic hardship and insecurity persist under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Galadima spoke on Thursday during an appearance on Politics Today, where he criticized the policies of the APC and dismissed claims that living conditions in the country have improved.
He cautioned authorities against underestimating public frustration, citing recent arrests linked to public commentary.
“Look at young men in Kano who go to the radio to express an opinion. They have been arrested and sent to jail. Sometimes they are tried at night by judges who are forced to jail them,” Galadima said.
He warned that such actions could fuel wider discontent if not addressed.
“These things start small. You don’t know how they can grow and become something bigger. They shouldn’t play. They shouldn’t presume that Nigerians are gullible and cannot react,” he added.
Drawing parallels with the 2015 general election, Galadima argued that Nigerians had previously demonstrated their readiness to vote out a sitting government over insecurity, particularly in the North-East.
“They should remember, and they know better, that when things were less than 10 percent of the situation we find ourselves in now in 2015, Nigerians rose to the occasion and removed that government,” he said, referring to the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
“If you can remove Jonathan’s government over insecurity in the Northeast, what will you do to the APC government? I think we have to cut them into pieces,” he added.
Galadima also accused the federal government of weakening the agricultural sector through import policies and high production costs, particularly the rising price of fertilizer.
“This government has deliberately killed agriculture, disenfranchising farmers who make up 75 percent of the Nigerian population. You have to buy a bag of fertilizer for 60,000 to 70,000 naira,” he said.
Rejecting claims that economic hardship is easing, Galadima said farming activity in rural areas was declining.
“How can you disenfranchise 75 percent of your population for the interest of one contractor or supporter? The massive importation of grains is part of the problem,” he said.
He added that during a recent visit to Maiduguri, farming activity was noticeably low.
“This year I traveled to Maiduguri… there is nobody doing any dry farming. Let the government send researchers to find out. If there is no famine, all the rice mills—over 1,000 of them established during Buhari’s time—will be destroyed,” he concluded.
