Presidential aide Dada Olusegun has dismissed calls by former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi for President Bola Tinubu to resign, arguing that the comparison Obi drew between Nigeria and the United Kingdom is misplaced.
Gatekeepers News reports that Obi had urged Tinubu to emulate British Prime Minister Keir Starmer by stepping down from office, citing worsening insecurity, economic hardship and persistent electricity challenges in Nigeria.
Starmer’s reported decision to resign followed growing public dissatisfaction over economic stagnation, rising living costs and concerns over the implementation of key campaign promises.
Reacting to Obi’s remarks, Olusegun said the comparison failed to take into account the fundamental differences between the United Kingdom’s parliamentary system and Nigeria’s presidential system of government.
According to him, a prime minister in a parliamentary democracy remains directly accountable to the legislature and political party, while Nigeria’s constitution provides for a fixed four-year tenure for an elected president.
“More importantly, true political accountability must look beyond sensational headlines and face the hard economic realities inherited by the current administration,” Olusegun said.
The presidential aide argued that Tinubu inherited an economy burdened by fuel subsidies, multiple foreign exchange rates, declining oil production and severe fiscal pressures.
He maintained that the administration’s reforms, though painful, were necessary to address long-standing structural challenges.
According to Olusegun, while the government acknowledges the hardship being experienced by Nigerians, claims that every sector of the economy has deteriorated are not supported by available indicators.
He pointed to what he described as improvements in financial market stability, oil production, government revenues, foreign reserves, infrastructure development, healthcare investments and investor confidence.
Olusegun also cited comments by Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, in support of the administration’s economic policies.
“Notably, Professor Charles Soludo, the current Governor of Anambra State — the exact state Peter Obi once governed — has repeatedly and publicly eulogised President Tinubu’s economic policies.
“As a seasoned economist and former Central Bank Governor, Soludo has stated that the administration’s audacious reforms rescued Nigeria’s public finances from the brink of collapse and gave the economy room to breathe again. He noted that true leadership is about visionary, difficult choices that guarantee a resilient future, rather than chasing short-term popularity,” he said.
The presidential aide further challenged Obi’s assertion that the economy is in its worst state, pointing to developments in the capital market and projected economic growth figures.
He questioned how critics would explain the performance of the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX), increased profitability among companies, higher revenue allocations to the three tiers of government, improved daily oil production and growth in the country’s foreign reserves.
Olusegun also cited the absence of prolonged strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the disappearance of fuel queues as indicators of progress under the current administration.
“How do you explain the unprecedented increase in profits of several companies that used to declare losses before the President got elected in 2023?
“How do you explain the massive increase in the allocations due to the three tiers of government?
“How do you explain the increased daily oil production and our foreign reserves?
“How do you explain the disappearance of the yearly ASUU strikes and the persistent fuel station queues?” he asked.
