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*’As governor of Anambra, you have been a colossal failure’
*’Tinubu did not inherit a country in tip-top shape’
Peter Obi’s latest comments calling for the resignation of President Bola Tinubu, based on a comparison with the voluntary exit of the British Prime Minister, are not only out of line but also reflect a selective and distorted view of Nigeria’s reality come 2023.
His outlook is also simplistic, as is often the case whenever he opens his mouth. Obi forgets that our country does not have a parliamentary system of government like the UK. We have a presidential system, with the president elected for a fixed term of 4 years. The people of Ekiti State and senatorial voters of Nasarawa, Enugu, Ondo and Rivers have just achieved a resounding victory for President Tinubu and his party.
The election results, a kind of early referendum, show that President Tinubu and his party are popular among Nigerians. This should be of more concern to Peter Obi and his new special purpose vehicle, NDC, as we approach the January 2027 elections.
Obi should wait for the presidential elections to know what the people think of Tinubu’s government. Using X to harangue the out-of-office President is out of line and undemocratic.
It is important to note that President Tinubu did not inherit a country in tip-top shape. The security challenges we face today are long-standing and deeply rooted. Yet, under the leadership of President Tinubu, Nigeria has made significant and measurable progress. Hundreds of people have been rescued from captivity, including in high-profile operations in Borno and the North West.
Our gallant troops have neutralized terrorist kingpins, sometimes with the help of our foreign allies. Over 15,000 terrorists have been removed from the streets and forests, and security operations have intensified nationwide.
President Tinubu has not only supported but also expanded investments in security by employing advanced technologies and drones and appointing a Special Adviser on National Security to ensure a holistic approach. These actions demonstrate commitment, not failure. It is ridiculous that Obi, who, as governor, was a colossal failure, unable to secure lives and properties in his small state of Anambra, as documented by his successor, Willie Obiano, is now the one calling for the resignation of President Tinubu over security breaches in some parts of the country.
On the economic front, Obi’s description of decline and his verdict that “We are in the worst possible condition” ignore verifiable data and global acclaim for President Tinubu’s economic and social policies. President Tinubu inherited what another successor to Peter Obi described as “a dead economy”.
When he came on board in May 2023, President Tinubu introduced bold and courageous policies that his predecessors had stayed away from. Since then, the Nigerian economy has recorded positive GDP growth every quarter, exceeding the global average.
Trade surpluses were recorded steadily and foreign reserves reached new highs, exceeding $50 billion. Oil production rose from less than a million barrels a day to about 1.8 million, reversing years of decline.
The Federation’s revenue is expected to reach over 30 trillion naira this year, far above the 2022 level of 7.7 trillion naira. As of May this year, $15.7 trillion has already been raised, more than double the entire revenue raised in 2022.
State governments now have more resources to pursue development projects in education, infrastructure, healthcare, housing, and so on.
The stock market has skyrocketed, with the All-Share Index rising from 50,000 to over 250,000, creating wealth for around 6 million Nigerian investors.
The Naira-dollar exchange rate remained stable. Foreign direct and portfolio investment reached record levels, reflecting renewed investor confidence, especially in the oil and gas sector.
President Tinubu has also set records in infrastructure provision, building concrete roads that will last 100 years or more in all geopolitical zones of the country and constructing the Lagos-Calabar and Sokoto-Badagry expressways, roads dreamed of for decades.
Unlike leaders who preceded him, President Tinubu has proven not only to be a reformist and courageous leader, but also an innovator, for example, by replacing expensive petrol and diesel with natural gas and by offering almost two million Nigerian tertiary students interest-free loans to continue their studies.
Are conditions worsening in our country when, in three years of Tinubu’s leadership, we have not seen any disruption of the academic calendar by unions like ASUU or NASU?
This is one of President Tinubu’s campaign promises to our students: a four-year program will be a four-year program. It was a promise well kept, one that Obi, in his penchant for bad news, never sang about and will never acknowledge.
Regarding President Tinubu’s election promises on electricity supply, it is misleading for Peter Obi to parrot the claim that candidate Tinubu would guarantee 24-hour electricity to all. What he actually said on that occasion in Lagos and which Obi and his followers have consistently misquoted, for the sake of malice, was: “By any means, by all means necessary, you will have electricity and you will no longer pay the estimated bills. One promise made will be promise kept. If I don’t keep my promise and come for a second term, don’t vote for me unless I give you adequate reasons why I couldn’t keep it.”
The first policy adopted by President Tinubu upon taking office was the signing of the Electricity Act, which allows states to generate, transmit and distribute electricity independently of the centralized grid system.
To put an end to fraudulent billing, his administration has rolled out millions of prepaid meters and plans to install seven million more. Energy production is increasing.
The government has stepped up the supply of off-grid solar power to schools, hospitals and markets in many parts of the country.
The real challenge remains transmission infrastructure and sustainable pricing, which is now being addressed, to attract new investments in the sector.
No one denies that Nigeria has challenges, especially when it comes to the high cost of living. But any honest politician will agree that this is a global problem arising from tensions in the Middle East.
Just recently, as inflation was declining in Nigeria, there was an upheaval to the global economy when America and Israel attacked Iran, and Iran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz, creating disruption in the global supply system and high prices of many commodities, including crude oil.
Peter Obi’s call for President Tinubu to resign is childish and empty. It is not a call to hold the leader accountable. This is simply political grandstanding and an unworthy distraction just hours after President Tinubu’s party recorded resounding victories in the weekend polls.
Leadership means determination to meet the challenges facing our country and economy. President Tinubu is focused on solutions, not rhetoric: investing in reforms, stabilizing the economy, improving security and laying the foundation for a more prosperous Nigeria. It doesn’t wait to learn from Bangladesh, Rwanda or Egypt. It has a team of thinkers and doers. And Nigeria, under his leadership, has been an example for other nations to copy.
True leadership means staying the course, learning, adapting and achieving results. President Tinubu has proven that he is up to the task and Nigeria is on track to progress.
With his childish tweet about We stand in solidarity with him. The reality he fantasizes about is mostly a fruit of his imagination.
*Bayo Onanuga
Special Advisor to the President
(Information and strategy)
