To address the current state of the economy, the federal government has called for bold reforms and more intelligent investments.

This call was given by Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, at the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Governors’ Retreat in Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

Mohammed Manga, the ministry’s director of information and public relations, said in a press statement on Monday that the minister emphasized the necessity for the IsDB to reconsider its approach to development funding in view of the current economic difficulties.

He urged the bank to concentrate on investments with high returns in order to provide sustainable funding, and he called for revolutionary, high-impact initiatives in the fields of energy, train, agriculture, and infrastructure.

“Edun also highlighted the importance of innovative funding solutions tailored to national priorities and debt dynamics, stressing the urgent need for a concessional financing strategy that balances development goals with minimal debt accumulation,” the statement read.

Edun’s support of creative finance, audacious reforms, and strict oversight as the IsDB launches its new 10-year plan highlights Nigeria’s commitment to promoting sustainable development and revolutionary transformation in the area.

“Achieving this vision and building a better future for future generations will require the IsDB and its member states to work together,” the statement said.

The ruling All Progressives Congress has stated that it is not concerned about the recent political romance between the opposition Social Democratic Party, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s camp, and Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State.

Prominent APC leader El-Rufai met behind closed doors last week with SDP leadership and some of Atiku’s supporters. Atiku was the Peoples Democratic Party’s 2023 presidential candidate.

The political gathering was characterized as a continuation of the covert alliance of key opposition leaders to overthrow President Bola Tinubu in 2027, despite the agenda not being disclosed.

Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, former General Sani Abacha Chief Security Officer, and former Atiku Abubakar spokesman Otunba Segun Showunmi were also present at the meeting, which was held in the SDP’s national secretariat.
On his Facebook page, Showunmi announced the political stakeholders’ meeting.

A former Kano State governor named Ibrahim Shekarau and some elite have said that the political bluster is related to the League of Northern Democrats’ efforts to win over southern leaders to create an alliance in front of the national elections in 2027.

According to the Bible, they will undoubtedly assemble and disperse, he stated. They will undoubtedly disperse, so we are not concerned that they are congregating. What El-Rufai does next doesn’t concern us. We already know that his political trajectory is seriously disrupted.

Following our election in 2023, he proved to be an untrustworthy individual throughout the many regions. He has become a leper as a result of his denigration of Christians in Nigeria, a secular society. No one approaches him in any way. I question why the media is focusing so much on El-Rufai, who is now merely thirsty for attention.

Since the unholy alliance will not result in anything, we are not concerned about it. It is really an assembly of irate individuals attempting to lick their wounds. In 2027, Tinubu will still be the president, and no one can stop him.

Arodiogbu went on to say that the contentious reforms that the opposition could be preparing to use as part of their campaign are already producing the outcomes that Nigerians had hoped for.

The leader of the APC added that the populace cannot afford to hand up power to desperate politicians whose only goal is state capture.

Therefore, we are not concerned about El-Rufai and their union,” he stated. What would they utilize to campaign to Nigerians in 2027? Will you inform them that gasoline subsidies will be reinstated? Not feasible. We are already recovering from our heyday. They have seen that the forest has stabilized and that there is hope for the future for the people.

“That is because we have allowed the market forces to determine the price and taken off the pressure that fuel subsidy has on our economy and currency. We are now looking at exporting fuel outside Nigeria. That is a massive gain for Nigeria. I am telling you that we have hope for a very brighter tomorrow for Nigeria.”

However, the Deputy National Organising Secretary of the APC, Nze Chidi Duru, said that the party cannot currently do anything about the immediate past governor of Kaduna until he takes a position on his political future.

He asserts that El-Rufai is entitled by the constitution to associate and socialize with anybody he chooses.

“We live in a democracy and a republic,” he stated. The freedom to associate, hold opinions, and express opinions are all protected under our constitution. The Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Constitution guarantees these unalienable rights. Therefore, these meetings are welcome as long as they are conducted in accordance with national legislation.All of this continual gossip doesn’t bother me in the slightest. We are not in a position to make assumptions until a decision has been taken. Speculation is not the role of the government. It has to do with objectivity and certainty.

However, when the defection occurs, the government—and the party in particular—will react to it in a thorough and appropriate manner. In addition to delivering the benefits of democracy to the citizens of this nation, the party will continue to concentrate on its manifesto.

The fact that members of political parties only make up a small portion of the population, including those in Nigeria as a whole, is still the reality today. For this reason, after the election is completed, the party turns to government. The party will ultimately be evaluated based on that governance.