Chief Spokesperson of the Obi-Datti Campaign Council, Tanko Yunusa, has alleged that the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration is stealing funds ahead 2027 general polls.
The Labour Party’s Director of Media made the strong accusation, while speaking with Information Nigeria about his assessment of President Tinubu’s one year in office.
According to him, the major problem the Tinubu administration has is the issue of “legitimacy and communication problem,” adding that they rely so much on “propaganda without telling the people the truth, trying to also play to the gallery” which has led to the cumulation of Nigeria’s problems.
His words: “When they started, they ran to the gallery trying to establish their legitimacy by telling lies to the Nigerian people that they’ve removed subsidy. Nigerians were already in pains. They made Nigerians believe that they can solve the problem but really, they don’t have the capacity to solve the problem.
“The removal of fuel subsidy affected the economy very significantly. Unfortunately for them, they dont have the recovery plan. Their plan was just to fool the people, deceive them and make them believe that there’s a solution on the horizon.”
Another problem, he disclosed, that is on record now is “it seems as if they’re paying the subsidy through the back door, many people may not know. That also, in its own right, affected the dollar and every of the currency we’re leveraging on. Nigerians can’t eat three square meals, can’t go to their farms because of insecurity and largely, the government is highly corrupt with individuals who have stolen large sums of money belonging to the people.”
“For us, they have no existing score card. It’s only retrogressive positions that have put Nigerians in perpetual abject poverty. The inflation rate has reached about 33 per cent, and there’s no solution in sight. What they are doing is trying to steal money to prepare themselves for 2027 election, that’s why you’re seeing billions and trillions of naira going here and there.
“The first thing he should have done was to have modular refineries which would have brought the price of fuel down before the main refineries are repaired. That way, instead of these increases like buying a bag of rice at the price it is now, would have reduced to about N33,000 or N25,000.
“Let’s be more productive, it is production against consumption. When you’re producing and exporting, obviously, it’s not rocket science, the price of the dollar will automatically come down. But when you’re not producing but consuming, there’s no way, this will work. You must be exporting something that money will be coming in at a lower rate,” he added.
On May 29, Tinubu, assessed his performance in the last 366 days and gave himself a thumbs up, saying his government is walking the talk.
While Tinubu’s first year in office has been marked by active policymaking and reforms aimed at addressing Nigeria’s multifaceted challenges, progress has been uneven.
Economic recovery has been slow, with many Nigerians still struggling with inflation and unemployment.
Security challenges persist in several regions, and some argue that the pace of infrastructure development and anti-corruption efforts needs to be accelerated.
