By John Ikani
A significant number of Nigerian citizens are unhappy with the current state of the nation under President Bola Tinubu, according to a recent survey by the Africa Polling Institute (API).
In a statement on Wednesday, API’s Executive Director, Bell Ihua, revealed that the survey documented 84% of respondents expressing deep dissatisfaction with the country’s current situation.
The survey, titled “#NigeriaSpeaks,” was conducted from May 1 to 18, 2024, and included 3,996 participants from various demographic backgrounds nationwide.
Ihua pointed out that the survey results highlighted severe issues such as hunger, poverty, and widespread discontent, marking Tinubu’s first year in office as particularly challenging.
The survey showed that 81% of citizens believe the country is on the wrong track.
The main issues identified were hunger (36%), inability to meet basic needs (28%), unemployment (13%), increased insecurity (9%), and poor electricity supply (5%).
Furthermore, the survey indicated that 74% of respondents felt their personal economic situation had worsened over the past year, while 20% said it remained unchanged, and only 5% reported any improvement.
In terms of Tinubu’s performance, 78% of those surveyed rated his job performance poorly, with 49% describing it as “very poor” and 29% as “poor.”
Ihua also noted that dissatisfaction extended to other branches of government, with 81% of citizens rating Senate President Godswill Akpabio poorly, and 79% giving a negative rating to Honourable Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The judiciary, led by Chief Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, was also criticized, with 75% of respondents expressing dissatisfaction with its performance.
The survey also assessed the performance of Tinubu’s cabinet members. A majority (68%) felt none of the ministers had performed well, while 32% identified both top and least performing ministers.
According to the survey, the top five performing ministers were Professor Tahir Mamman, Minister of Education (27%); former River State Governor Barr. Nyesom Wike, Minister of the FCT (25%); former Ebonyi State Governor Dr. Dave Umahi, Minister for Works and Housing (21%); Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy (14%); and Professor Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare (12%).
Conversely, the least-performing ministers were Hon. Adebayo Adelabu, Minister of Power (44%); Dr. Dave Umahi, Minister of Works and Housing (30%); Hon. Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy (27%); Hon. Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (22%); and Hon. Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security (20%).
“It is worth noting that the data listed Dr. Dave Umahi among the top-performing and least-performing ministers, and this may be a result of the mixed sentiments that have engulfed conversations over the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project, of which he has been in the eye of the storm,” Ihua stated.
“Finally, from the survey fieldwork, API has keenly observed a growing mass of aggrieved and discontented citizens nationwide, especially among the youth. Many are unemployed or underemployed and have become local crusaders and social activists in their communities, waiting for the slightest opportunity to vent their anger against fellow citizens and the Nigerian state.”
