Usman Bugaje, a respected elder statesman and political activist, has labeled the first year of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration a “tragedy” for Nigeria. Bugaje made these remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he assessed Tinubu's inaugural year in office.

As a former member of the House of Representatives, Bugaje criticized the APC-led government for failing to address the multitude of challenges confronting the nation. He stated, “The past year has been a tragedy for Nigerians. There isn’t a single problem they have resolved. The government appears overwhelmed and is struggling to manage the mounting frustrations of the populace.”

Bugaje further argued that the policies introduced by Tinubu's administration have worsened existing issues instead of improving them. He emphasized the need for the government to seek advice from experts, regardless of their political affiliations, to navigate the country through its current difficulties. “In this year, they have left people in darkness. It’s time to seek help from knowledgeable Nigerians, even those outside the party and politics. Many nations have overcome similar challenges by leveraging their intellectual and administrative resources. Nigeria is rich in such resources, but the government remains insular and ineffective.”

He also stressed the importance of developing clear metrics to evaluate governance. “As a nation, we should have established metrics for assessing governance by now. There are academic and statistical methods to do this.”

To highlight the worsening security situation, Bugaje recounted a recent incident: “This morning, I read reports of 20 individuals being abducted in a residential estate in Gwarimpa, Abuja. If the seat of government isn’t safe, it sends shockwaves throughout the citizenry.”