The party said that the former president was "suffering from old age syndrome and should not be listened to."
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has berated former President Olusegun Obasanjo for criticising the President Bola Tinubu administration on the handling of its ongoing reforms and the coup d’etat in Niger Republic.
The party said that the former president was "suffering from old age syndrome and should not be listened to."
SaharaReporters reported on May 26 that Obasanjo had said that President Tinubu’s policies on fuel subsidy removal and exchange rates had adversely affected the Nigerian economy.
Obasanjo, who spoke via a statement issued by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, on Sunday to assess the performance of the current government in the past one year had said the effects of the policies which were “wrongly implemented are pushing foreign investors away from Nigeria”.
He argued that “the present administration has not found the right way to handle the economy to engender confidence and trust for investors to start trooping in”.
“Today, the government has taken three decisions, two of which are necessary but wrongly implemented and have led to the impoverization of the economy and of Nigerians. These are removal of subsidy, closing the gap between the black market and official rates of exchange and the third is dealing with a military coup in Niger Republic."
Reacting to the criticism of the Tinubu administration, APC National Director, Bala Ibrahim, described the former president as a serial critic, while noting that Obasanjo might be manifesting signs of old age.
He said, “As a Nigerian and someone who respects Obasanjo, I think senility is beginning to come in. Obasanjo is beginning to manifest the symptoms" adding that “Ever since he lost the bid to have a third term in office, he has consistently attacked every regime that comes after him."
According to Ibrahim, Obasanjo has continued to sees himself as the only one who meant well for Nigeria from independence to date. "He thinks he is the best and every other leader is bad. And this is not good for a statesman. Nobody has monopoly on knowledge or style of leadership."
SaharaReporters reported that since May 29, 2023 when Bola Tinubu took oath of office, things had never been the same as inflation had reached all time high in the history of Nigeria.
Fuel prices jumped from N250 to N600 and now between 800 and N1000 per litre. Cost of transportation rose to over 700 per cent. Exchange rate rose from N350 to $1 to N1540 to $1 under one year of his administration.
Not minding the trouble and hardship APC administration under Bola Tinubu had brought to Nigerians in one year, Ibrahim maintained that Obasanjo has been consistent in his criticisms of people in leadership positions apart from himself.
"So, this is not an isolated case. President Bola Tinubu is not the first to be attacked by Obasanjo. Buhari and Jonathan were also victims of his criticisms. He himself did not fare better when he was the leader. In fact, Obasanjo superintended the balkanisation of the Nigerian economy.
“How can he say someone who is trying to put the economy on a better pedestal is not doing the right thing? I am not a spokesman for Tinubu. Even though the party has discussed him to my knowledge, I practically feel Obasanjo has erred as he has always been doing.”