Economist Paul Alaje has urged Nigerians to judge presidential candidates in the 2027 general election by their ability to boost purchasing power, cut the cost of living and make essential services more affordable.
Alaje, a senior economist at SPM Professionals, said voters should back candidates whose policies would let people buy more with what they earn, rather than being drawn in by promises of higher wages that do not improve real income.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, he said, “Any candidate who is telling you that the money in your pocket will buy more, will improve more, and will afford your rent — that is the candidate you should vote for.”
He explained that a rise in nominal earnings does not automatically mean a better standard of living if prices keep climbing faster than incomes.
“You can earn more in naira terms. Like labour wants more money, you can. But will it buy more in real terms?” he asked.
Alaje urged voters to scrutinise candidates’ plans on making education affordable, widening access to healthcare and easing other pressures on household budgets. According to him, the key question is which candidate can raise the real value of Nigerians’ earnings and put essential services within reach of more people.
He also warned that economic policies that ignore productivity could damage the country’s economy.
“Anybody who is not discussing productivity is going to run the economy down,” he said, adding that productivity and other economic fundamentals must underpin reforms if they are to deliver lasting improvements in living standards.
Alaje to Tinubu: Fix electricity
The economist also called on President Bola Tinubu to act urgently on the country’s power problem, describing electricity supply as critical to economic performance.
“You need to do something urgent and critical about electricity,” he told the President.
Alaje noted that countries that have carried out reforms similar to Nigeria’s succeeded because they had strong fundamentals in place.
“Major economies that adopted the kind of reforms we are adopting and have results, they have fundamentals working for them,” he said.
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