Senior economist at SPM Professionals, Paul Alaje, has urged Nigerians to assess presidential candidates in the 2027 general election based on their plans to improve purchasing power, reduce living costs and make essential services more affordable.

Alaje said voters should focus on candidates whose economic policies would enable people to buy more with their earnings, rather than be persuaded by promises of higher wages without corresponding improvements in real income.

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He made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where he discussed the economic issues Nigerians should consider when evaluating candidates ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

“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 said.

The economist explained that an increase in nominal earnings would not necessarily improve living standards if prices continued to rise faster than incomes.

He said voters should assess purchasing power by considering what their earnings could buy and whether candidates’ proposed policies would help households meet their basic needs.

“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 Nigerians to examine candidates’ plans for making education more affordable, improving access to healthcare and easing other pressures on household budgets.

According to him, the key consideration should be which proposed economic policies could increase the real value of people’s earnings and make essential services more accessible.

He also warned that economic policies that neglect productivity could undermine the country’s economic performance.

“Anybody who is not discussing productivity is going to run the economy down,” he said.

Alaje argued that productivity and sound economic fundamentals were necessary to ensure that reforms translated into sustainable improvements in living standards.

The economist also called on President Bola Tinubu to take urgent action to address Nigeria’s electricity challenges, describing reliable power supply as a critical factor in improving economic performance.

“You need to do something urgent and critical about electricity,” he told the President.

Alaje said countries that had successfully implemented reforms similar to those being pursued in Nigeria had underlying economic fundamentals that helped deliver results.