Nigerians Carpet APC Scribe, Basiru For Saying Food Inflation Is Overhyped

Some Nigerians on X (formerly Twitter) have carpeted the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, over his comments that Nigeria’s skyrocketing inflation rate is not as bad as it is being reported.

Basiru, while featuring on Channels TV Politics Today monitored by OSUN DEFENDER on Wednesday, downplayed the statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), saying he does not agree with it.

The former Osun Central Senator stated that although prices of essential commodities, especially food, have continued to rise, the situation is being tackled by the federal government.

“I don’t agree with that statistics. What is the source of your information? NBS did not give the data. I disagree. I know there are inflationary challenges, but it is not up to that level.”

OSUN DEFENDER reports that the June 2024 inflation index is 15.0% higher than the situation in March 2023, at 33.20%,  before President Bola Tinubu assumed office.

Also, food inflation, according to the NBS, suffered a 15+% rise from 24.82% in May 2023 to 40.01% in March 2024.

READ: OBSERVATION: Tax Holiday On Imported Food Commodities

Many Nigerians, however, at the end of the programme took to their various social media handles to carpet Basiru, stressing that his position denotes that the thinking of the federal government and the ruling party is far from the reality of the people.

@MentusNnaemeka in his reaction said: “You wonder how these guys are elected from election to election!”

Another X user @Thescars92And he is a lawyer? Wow!  Per tone or per tubers. The masses can’t even afford half. Lol rub it on their faces.

@iam_Daposh Their Leader, Alhaji Tinubu doesn’t believe in Statistics. Why would anyone expect APC members to believe in Statistics?

@berom29 stressed that: “He gets Newspapers Allowance and have access to economic data yet he will not accept official data from NBS. What solution can he proffer to our current economic situation?

@francis_ranco said that, “At this point, you can agree with me that these politicians are only good for one thing, if Nigerians can summon the courage to!

“Did I hear him mention that they are releasing food? Like seriously, that’s a control measure for them?,” @ecomgem posted.

@MbakaraPromise tweeted: “Our politicians are too proud, they need serious humbling, I don’t think we hit the road we should visit their Houses instead and have this conversation face to face.”

@abiajames wrote: “Arguing blindly. How much was rice sold using the 4kg custard rubber before PBAT came in and how much is it now and a sitting Senator is arguing unnecessarily? Wow!