Since he won the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in June 2022, all we heard from Bola Tinubu was that it was his turn to be president. But on October 21, 2022, he finally released a manifesto titled Renewed Hope 2023 to back up his entitled “emi lokan” campaign.
[Image source: Twitter/@O_Muhammadu_O]
If “Renewed Hope 2023” sounds familiar, then you’re in the same WhatsApp group with the people who’ve accused Tinubu of copying MKO Abiola’s “Hope 1993” campaign which was also a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
Tinubu promised that his manifesto would provide the “true and innovative solutions” that Nigeria needs to address its challenges, so we had to read this 80-page document so you don’t have to.
Here are some of the interesting things we found that Tinubu has promised to do for Nigerians if he becomes president in 2023.
No more police guards for VIPs
It’s not a secret that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is understaffed. Yet, many of the ones we currently have are acting as bodyguards for the highest bidder. They even help their VIP clients carry handbags sometimes.
But Tinubu’s manifesto promises to free police officers from being guards for VIPs if he becomes president. The VIP guard and bag-carrying job will now go to officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) while the NPF undergoes critical reform.
What it means for Nigerians
Nigeria is suffering from insecurity on a scale that’s never been seen before. We need police officers to be fighting crime, not acting as glorified guards. But Nigerians shouldn’t hold their breaths for this promise because every Inspector-General of Police (IGP) since 1914 and even Buhari have tried and failed to make this change happen.
The import substitution plan
Remember how Buhari has been hostile towards importation and even has a ban list for the importation of certain items like rice? Well, Tinubu’s manifesto promises to follow in his footsteps and discourage reliance on imports through policy measures like luxury taxes and higher tariffs. Buhari tried border closure at some point, so we wouldn’t be surprised if that’s on the table for Tinubu too.
What it means for Nigerians
Tinubu’s anti-import plan promises to incentivise international brands to set up manufacturing plants in Nigeria. The manifesto also notes that there’ll be support for local manufacturing and production. But if we’ve learnt anything from Buhari’s anti-import policies over the past seven years, there’s a lot to fear about this part of Tinubu’s manifesto.
ALSO READ: Emi Lokan: Why Tinubu Feels Entitled to Nigeria’s Iron Throne
The price control plan
The agbado master cemented his love for ‘cassava, garri, ewa” and other crops with the promise to establish a commodity board. The major objective of the board is to control the prices of staple crops.
Tinubu believes price control will help Nigerian farmers gain their daily ₦2k for their business.
What it means for Nigerians
Nigeria doesn’t have a good history with price-fixing and there’s little to suggest Tinubu’s plan won’t fail the economy like the others in the past. Let’s see how things turn out.
The content creators’ plan
If you thought Buhari’s attempts to regulate social media were bad, wait until you hear about Tinubu’s plan for content creators if he becomes president. The candidate plans to create a Presidential Creative Industry Advisory Team which would review the legislative framework of the creative industry.
What it means for Nigerians
Tinubu says the goal of this plan is to create a better business environment for Nigerian creatives, but we’ve seen all the memes about him and won’t put social media regulation attempts past him.
The inflation plan that’s not really a plan
In his manifesto, Tinubu has found a revolutionary action plan for inflation that’s certain to change Nigeria’s economy. That solution, ladies and gentlemen, is to study inflation.
What it means for Nigerians
This half-baked non-solution simply means that Nigeria’s 23.12% inflation rate may not improve anytime soon.
The women empowerment plan
One fact is clear — the number of women in Nigeria’s political space is very low.
Tinubu wants to address this and has promised to allocate 35% of all government positions to women. He even plans to strongly encourage private institutions to reserve a minimum number of senior positions for women. Who knew Tinubu is such a feminist?
What it means for Nigerians
If this plan works, we may be seeing more women becoming senators, and governors, and maybe even sitting in Aso Rock Villa.
The only issue with the plan is it’s only offering women 35% when they’re half of the population. Why can’t important government positions be split 50-50 between both genders?
