By Temidayo Akinsuyi

Copyright independent

…Says Obi, Atiku No Threats To President’s Reelection

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed claims that the re-moval of fuel subsidy by Presi-dent Bola Tinubu is responsible for the prevailing economic hard-ship across the country.

Speaking with Daily Inde-pendent, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Mogaji Seye Oladejo, said Nigerians are going through tough times because the adminis-tration inherited a “battered econ-omy on life support” when Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023.

Oladejo stressed that the pres-ident demonstrated uncommon courage by ending the subsidy regime, a decision previous ad-ministrations had failed to take.

“Let’s be honest: subsidy was a monumental fraud. It drained our resources and only enriched a greedy cartel. Whether on May 29th or later, it had to go. What the pres-ident did was to summon the polit-ical will others never had,” he said.

According to him, those de-scribing the decision as “hasty” should tell Nigerians how long they expected the country to sustain what he described as a fraudulent system.

“The current hardship is not because of subsidy removal; it’s because we inherited an economy on life support. Tinubu is resusci-tating it. Like the elders say, you cannot remove a leech from the skin gently – it must be pulled out firmly,” Oladejo added.

The APC spokesperson main-tained that the Tinubu adminis-tration is committed to reforms aimed at recovery and national rebirth.

He urged Nigerians to show unity, patience, and sacrifice as the government steers the coun-try through “stormy waters into safe harbour.”

“We will not be distracted by opposition noise. What we need now is unity, patience, and collec-tive sacrifice. The child who cries for palm oil in the market will one day thank the mother who taught him how to plant palm trees. His-tory will vindicate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the man who saved Nigeria when it mattered most,” Oladejo declared.

Oladejo further expressed con-fidence in Tinubu’s popularity, in-sisting the president would record a landslide victory if another elec-tion were to be conducted today.

“Without a doubt. Despite the noise, Nigerians know a serious leader when they see one. They know the difference between empty promises and a man of action. The president’s commit-ment to long-term reforms will earn him even greater support. If elections are held today, Bola Ahmed Tinubu will win, and win big. In politics, you don’t stop the drummer in the middle of the dance. Nigerians will not abandon a leader who is already steering the ship in the right di-rection,” he said.

He also dismissed Tinubu’s main rivals in the 2023 presiden-tial election, Peter Obi of the La-bour Party (LP) and Atiku Abu-bakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as no threats to the president’s reelection prospects.

“Peter Obi and Atiku are no threats. They are expired politi-cians recycling bitterness as a strategy. Nigerians rejected them in 2023, and nothing has changed since then. Instead of presenting constructive alternatives, they cling to insults and propagan-da. By 2027, both men will still be where they are today — on the sidelines. Tinubu’s political sagacity dwarfs whatever they bring to the table. In Yoruba land we say, you don’t compare a lamp to the midday sun,” Oladejo said.

“As a matter of fact, one of them who has been known not to have contested elections twice in the same political party is lit-erally stranded scouting for his next platform. He has apparently outwitted himself out of desper-ation and inherent mischief and political dishonesty. He already has an expiry date,” he added.