NIGERIA: Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has expressed concerns over the state of the country, saying the country’s fortunes nose-dived under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
While he stated that one year is too short to rate President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the PDP leader challenged the President to come out and tell the nation the true position of things, reports Daily Trust.
He stated this while reflecting on the state of the nation since it gained democracy in 1999, saying successive governments failed to fix the country.
“This crisis became complicated between 2015 and 2023 during the administration of my oga President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The Nigerian state almost collapsed because many Nigerians will agree that, that eight-year era was probably the worst in Nigerian history since 1960 when we got our independence,” he stressed.
He expressed displeasure over those blaming the current administration, stressing that his one year office cannot suffice to score his administration.
“Pitiably, some Nigerians have resorted to a blame game. Let me advise that we have to be careful in this country because Nigeria is not for any individual, group or region. Nigeria belongs to everybody. It is through cooperation and unanimity of purpose that we can lift the country up.
“They are now blaming the Bola Tinubu administration which has spent about one year in office,” he said.
However, he urged Tinubu to rejig his economic team, saying that the standard of living is dwindling owing to the high cost of living.
“Tinubu should also come out and tell Nigerians the true position of things in the country. This is not the time to play party or regional politics. Nigerians have suffered enough and they want fast results.
“Nigerians are also saying it loud and clear that the skewed structure of political power constitutes a very huge hindrance to national development,” he added.
He harped on the need for true federalism, saying centrality of political power holds everyone down to an unhealthy indolence, strips the states of individual growth and development.
“This is the time to listen to the voice of reason because real progress lies in true federalism and good governance.
“We have been operating this constitution since 1999 and it has taken us nowhere. It is only a fool who will be doing the same thing over and over and expect a different result,” he said.
