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An x-ray of the critical questions that Nigeria’s next president must address
By Richard Mammah
What are the critical issues before voters in the 2019 presidential polls in Nigeria?
Of course they are legion, but what would be the most critical ones?
In the eye of this observer, the pre-eminent point would be ‘the economy.’ Given the state of affairs in the country presently, this ranks as perhaps the most touching challenge before government. Which of the critical contenders and their associated political parties seem like they could have a handle on the subject?
Some of the sub-issues here would be the rate of growth, job creation capacity and ensuring that the nation’s wealth is even more evenly spread.
On present terms, the statistics are indeed quite damning. Unemployment numbers have soared above the 20million mark with growth rate unflatteringly also below the two per cent mark. And with a 2019 federal government budget proposal that is below nine trillion naira, it is clear that succour would not be coming in too swiftly.
Though the front-liners in the contest at the moment, the duo of incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the PDP have since come out with the core of their proposals for fixing the economy, observers say that about the most ambitious and daring ideas for tackling Nigeria’s economic challenges would presently be found in the proposals of the likes of Kingsley Moghalu of YPP, Oby Ezekwesili of ACPN and Tope Fasua of ANRP.
To be continued
PDP presidential contender, Atiku Abubakar
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