By Emmanuel Antswen
The former speaker pro-tempore of the House of Representatives, High Chief Terngu Tsegba, has faulted President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, saying that the reforms have worsened hardship for Nigerians.
Tsegba, who is seeking to represent Benue North-West Senatorial District (Zone B) in the 2027 general elections on the platform of African Democratic Congress (ADC) disclosed this to journalists on Wednesday in Gboko.
The former three-term House of Representatives member said the simultaneous implementation of multiple economic reforms recommended by international financial institutions has compounded inflation and deepened poverty across the country.
He said rising fuel prices, electricity tariffs, taxes and inflation had significantly reduced the purchasing power of Nigerians, while farmers were grappling with high production costs and declining prices for their produce due to increased food imports.
Tsegba expressed concern that many civil servants and pensioners could no longer afford healthcare, transportation and other basic necessities, warning that worsening poverty could further aggravate insecurity.
He also blamed high interest rates for stifling businesses, saying borrowing at prevailing commercial lending rates had become unsustainable for entrepreneurs.
The former lawmaker said he will provide effective representation and address the security and economic challenges confronting his constituents when elected.
He said his decision was motivated by a desire to restore purposeful representation for the people.
He expressed concern over what he described as the failure of elected representatives to speak out against persistent attacks and killings in their constituencies.
“The least the people expect is that if those you represent are under attack, you should raise your voice on their behalf. That is why they elected you,” he said.
On his defection to the ADC, Tsegba said he left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after losing confidence in its leadership and direction.
According to him, the prolonged internal crisis within the PDP and the actions of some of its leaders contributed to the party’s decline.
He described the ADC as a platform that encourages members to contribute ideas and influence policy decisions.
The former lawmaker also criticised what he described as poor implementation of the federal budget, saying inadequate investment in infrastructure was slowing economic growth.
Speaking on the ADC’s prospects in Benue, Tsegba expressed confidence that growing public dissatisfaction with the country’s economic situation would translate into electoral support for the party in 2027.
He said his previous service in the National Assembly provided voters with an opportunity to assess his performance and pledged to offer better representation if elected, leveraging his legislative experience to advance the interests of the people of Benue North-West.
