Analysis-As campaigns begin in Nigeria, Tinubu’s re-election bid puts his party on trial

ABUJA, Aug 19 (Reuters) – As campaigning for January’s elections begins in Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term has effectively placed his All Progressives Congress (APC) party on trial, with voters weighing his controversial economic reforms against a backdrop of widespread hardship.

Tinubu has defended his administration’s measures as necessary to unwind years of state intervention and restore stability and investor interest in Africa’s most populous nation. However, critics argue that the policies have exacerbated the cost-of-living crisis, while security challenges such as violence, kidnappings, and banditry remain rife across the country.

The APC’s tenure from 2015 to 2026 makes for unhappy reading and Tinubu’s reforms have particularly brought severe pain.

This assessment, provided by Cheta Nwanze, a partner at Nigeria-based risk advisory SBM Intelligence, reflects the skepticism many Nigerians feel as the political season kicks off. With the campaign period now underway, the ruling party faces the difficult task of convincing an electorate that has seen little relief from economic pressures that its vision for the country remains the right path forward.