Senator Garba Musa Maidoki has told Nigerians to judge President Bola Tinubu’s administration by one simple measure: whether their lives have improved.
The Kebbi South senator said voters who believe their lives have become better under the Tinubu government should support the president, while those who believe their situation has not improved should make a different choice at the polls.
Maidoki made the remarks while speaking to reporters at a briefing, in comments that circulated widely on Sunday as political activity ahead of the 2027 general election continues to build.
Tinubu assumed office on 29 May 2023 and is expected to seek a second term on the platform of the All Progressives Congress. Maidoki, however, is now a member of the African Democratic Congress.
Maidoki first won the Kebbi South Senate seat in the 25 February 2023 election as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party. He secured 75,232 votes to defeat the then incumbent APC senator, Bala Ibn Na Allah, who polled 70,785 votes. The result was announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission returning officer in Kebbi South.
He later moved from the PDP to the APC in May 2025 alongside the two other Kebbi senators, Muhammad Adamu Aliero and Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi. In June 2026, he left the APC for the ADC, citing internal disputes within the ruling party and dissatisfaction with the outcome of the party’s primaries in Kebbi State.
Maidoki said his decision followed consultations with people in his constituency and a dispute surrounding the APC primaries. He also linked his failure to secure the APC ticket to his criticism of the security situation in Kebbi South, particularly the Zuru area.
The Kebbi State Government rejected that explanation, saying his account of the ticket dispute was misleading and that he had lost a fair contest.
Maidoki currently chairs the Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance and serves as vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation. His political career has also been marked by repeated calls for stronger action against bandit attacks affecting communities in Kebbi South.
His latest remarks come against the backdrop of the economic changes introduced since Tinubu took office. The administration removed the petrol subsidy and changed the foreign exchange system, reforms that the World Bank says have helped improve government revenue, external balances and broader economic stability.
The same reforms have also brought heavy pressure on many households. Petrol prices rose sharply after the subsidy was removed, while the naira weakened significantly after foreign exchange reforms. Food and other household costs also increased, putting pressure on purchasing power.
The World Bank says inflation has eased from earlier highs and that Nigeria has made progress in stabilising its economy. However, it also says household incomes have not fully recovered and poverty remains high. Its April 2026 Nigeria Development Update said economic stability had improved while many households were still struggling to see the full benefits of the reforms.
The World Bank’s more recent assessment also estimated that more than 60 percent of Nigerians were living below the national poverty line in 2025, while food inflation continued to put particular pressure on poorer households. At the same time, it reported stronger economic growth, higher revenues and improved foreign reserves.
Those competing realities have become central to the political debate ahead of 2027. The Tinubu administration has pointed to improved government revenues, stronger foreign reserves and greater economic stability as evidence that its reforms are producing results. Critics have focused on the continued cost of food, transport, housing, medicine and energy and the effect of those prices on household incomes.
Maidoki has also questioned government spending and budget implementation and has called for greater accountability over borrowed funds and additional revenue generated by government agencies.
On security, the senator has repeatedly raised concerns about bandit attacks in Kebbi and neighbouring areas. He has urged the federal government to adopt a clear and effective response to insecurity affecting communities in the region.
His latest political message brings those economic and security concerns back to the individual voter. Rather than asking Nigerians to judge the administration only through national economic figures, Maidoki has asked them to look at their own circumstances and decide whether the changes since 2023 have made their lives better.
The 2027 political contest is already taking shape, with Tinubu expected to seek another term and the ADC preparing to challenge the ruling party. Atiku Abubakar has emerged as the ADC presidential candidate, while Peter Obi is also expected to contest the presidency on another opposition platform.
Maidoki did not announce a preferred presidential ticket in the briefing. His message instead left the final decision with voters, asking them to measure the government’s record against their own experience of daily life.
