Adams Oshimhole, the senator representing Edo North and former governor, says Nigerians should not blame President Bola Tinubu for the untold hardships plaguing the country. Mr Oshiomhole blamed the hardships on former President Muhammadu Buhari, who orchestrated “reckless” policies “designed to dehumanise” Nigerians.

Mr Oshimhole, who claimed his loyalty to Nigeria takes priority over party support, made this statement during an interview Sunday night on Channels TV regarding how the ruling All Progressives Congress has handled the economy. 

“At a point, even before the last president (Mr Buhari) left office, I lamented aloud and denounced aloud what I saw as reckless policies that were designed to dehumanise the population that was already in pain,” Mr Oshimhole said.

The APC chieftain added, “I said I dissociated myself from those policies. I’m happy I wasn’t the only one. There were some governors who felt so strong and went to challenge the policies.”

Mr Oshimhole pointed out that “it is the long-term consequences of some of those policies we are grappling with now,” suggesting the incumbent president should not bear the brunt of Nigerians’ frustration.

“Yes, it is our party platform. But like Tinubu also said, he was never a minister in that government,” Mr Oshiomhole reasoned. “He was never an adviser in that government. He never took (a) contract in that government and cannot be held responsible for what the government did right or wrong.” 

Nigerians have witnessed increased hardship, and food prices have skyrocketed due to rising economic inflation. 

Last week, Nigerians hit the streets in protests of economic hardship in Niger, Kano and Lagos, with a Peoples Gazette’s market survey indicating a sharp rise in food prices.

In response to public outcry on the rising cost of food driven by skyrocketing inflation in the country, Mr Tinubu had directed the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to release about 42,000 metric tonnes of grain, including maize, millet and garri.

On Sunday, Mr Tinubu vowed to make Nigeria a net exporter of food in Africa through aggressive mechanised agriculture.