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Nothing could be worse than what Buhari left behind for Tinubu – Oshiomhole
President Bola Tinubu is grappling with a daunting task of working Nigeria back from its nadir, handed down to him by his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, according to Adams Oshiomhole, former Governor of Edo State.
Oshiohmole, also former National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), maintains that Tinubu, who graduated from National Leader of the party, a position he shared with the former President, should not be blamed for the current economic crisis in Nigeria, because no magic would have redeemed the situation so soon after Buhari’s parlous outing.
Explaining that only bold and sound economic policies, such as was being introduced by Tinubu, could take Nigerians out of the woods, he said the measures had to be drastic enough, even though painful, as the side-effects of the pills being applied to remedy an ailment.
At the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he met Vice President Kashim Shettima, Oshiomhole argued that the painful decisions taken so far were unavoidable, considering how bad things were when they took over and the need to set things on the right track, appealing to Nigerians to give the administration more time, noting that solving the kind of economic crises the administration inherited requires time and right steps to salvage the situation.
His words: “The government inherited a terrible economic situation. Everybody knows it. The government inherited an economy in which our total national revenue was barely enough to service our debt burden, spending 96 per cent, which is to say every N100, 000 Nigeria, earns, N96,000 is going to repay debts, to service debt. So, you have only N4,000 left to pay all the salaries.
“So, nothing can be worse. But they came determined that they will have to do business unusual; to arrest the drift; stabilise the economy and then begin to move forward. Some painful decisions are necessary. It is like any of us that has been unfortunate to have an ailment that requires surgery. If you want to pretend, you can be applying Vaseline, perfumes, creams and wear babariga to cover all the manifestations of that disease. But a trained doctor that believes in the ethics of medicine will tell you that you need a surgery.
“Surgery will be painful in the short run. They will give you a little bit of pain relief. But they only relieve the pain; they won’t cure the disease. You need surgery and they wheel you to theatre. It might take three months, six months. But when you recover from that surgery and you bounce back; and you obey all the rules of the game, some of which may require a new way of life; it may require change of lifestyle. You’ll be back and you find out that you can do a relay race because you are fit. I think that is the kind of analogy we can draw in terms of where we are now.
“Already, the executive – the President and Vice President – they’ve shown courage in terms of the decisions they have taken, a radical movement away from one in which if you are well connected you could make billions without adding value to one in which if you want to make money you have to work.
“We’ve moved away from a situation where CBN can favour you and you become a billionaire or they can pauperise you and your business collapses. Yes, it has created its own challenges, but I don’t know of any drug without side effect.
“Doctors will always tell you that every drug might cure your ailment but it will have a side effect. So, in taking it, you have to do cost and benefit analysis. On the whole, I believe that the broad economic, specific macroeconomic policies that have been put in place so far both in terms of monetary policies and in terms of fiscal policies is the best way to start.
“You remember just recently a minister of finance distanced herself from the monetary policies of a CBN Governor and they were not talking. If the hand and the leg are not walking in harmony, then there is no way you can get to your destination.
“So, I think we are in a better situation now. But my plea to Nigerians is, when I say I will bail you out, I will fix a complicated system that is malfunctioning, I believe everyone knows that the more terrible the situation is, the more time I will require to take the right decision. Given the paucity of data and other basic infrastructure you need to take some quick decisions are not present, but decision has to be taken.
“When I was a governor, I did the same thing. I said, let me use my first six months to take the tough decisions. I might lose few friends in the process, but when those decisions begin to manifest and translate to benefits I will regain, not just the friends I have lost, I will definitely win more friends.
“That’s what happened in Edo and by the time I was running for my second term, I got more votes than I got in my first term because some of the difficult decisions I took in my first term came to fruition. So, there is no quick fix and there is no miracle in the life of nation states. As they say, leaders and statesmen think of tomorrow, the short-sighted politicians think of what is politically convenient. I’m convinced that Nigeria is safe hands.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has appealed the judgement of the federal high court in Abuja nullifying the timelines issued for the conduct of party primaries and the nomination of candidates.
Alex Izinyon SAN, leading a team of lawyers of the commission in a notice of appeal dated May 25, raised nine grounds it urged the appellate court to consider and vacate the judgment the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered on May 20.
Apart from raising the issue of jurisdiction, which it said the lower court did not determine, INEC also maintained that the legal action the Youth Party (YP) initiated against it was not only hypothetical but academic.
Arguing that failure of the trial court to make pronouncements on the issues, resulted in the denial of fair hearing to the Appellant, the commission also stressed the lower court misinterpreted the provisions of the electoral act.
It said: “The high court erred in law when it held that: ‘It is clear from the wordings of Sections 29(1), 82 and 84 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the following can be understood. Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026 mandates Political Parties to submit the names of candidates in prescribed forms of the candidates who emerged from its valid primaries which such a political party intends to sponsor at the elections, not later than 120 days before the date of the General Election.
“What is required of Political Parties to do under the Electoral Act, 2026 is to notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 21 days before the holding of its primaries, congresses or conventions, days before the holding of its primaries, congresses or conventions, or any conference or meeting convened for the election of its executive committees, other governing bodies for nominating candidates.
“The Defendant is not mandated to impose a timeframe for political parties to conduct their primaries provided that it will be done and submitted not later than the 120 days provided by the Electoral Act, 2026. See Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.”
It was another day of misery in Kwara State, when daredevil terrorists reportedly stormed Yashikira Community in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, and as has been the case in many of the attacks, abducting scores of residents including women and children.
But, apparently to register their authority, the gunmen, who were said to have operated for hours without challenge from the security operatives, were said to have torched the palace of the Emir.
The attackers, which reportedly occurred late Sunday night were said to have announced their presence through heavy firing and after storming the palace of the monarch during the period, set it on fire before whisking away their victims, but a similar attempt at the police station in the community, was repelled.
While some of the residents, narrated how the spent hours without resistance, leaving behind destruction and fear in the border community, another account said the villagers were caught unawares as the gunmen invaded the town under the cover of darkness.
However operatives made up of the police and military personnel, were said to have launched a manhunt immediately for the immediate rescue of the victims, including throwing a cordon in the area as part of the mission.
“The suspect offered ₦500 million to the SPU commander in an attempt to make the team stand down and allow him to contact his associates to move the consignment elsewhere. The offer was rejected immediately and properly documented for further investigation.”
These were the exact words of Olohundare Jimoh Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), with which he detailed how operatives of the Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) scoffed at a N500million bribe to turn their eyes off the importation of a huge consignment of drugs imported into the country.
This was part of the details of a major breakthrough by the operatives after bursting a major drug trafficking syndicate in Lagos, which led to the seizure of suspected illicit drugs estimated at ₦7.8 billion and arresting several suspects, including the alleged kingpin.
In the operation, reportedly carried out by officers of the Special Protection Unit (SPU) in collaboration with divisional police detectives, the operatives, were said to have stormed a house in Mende, Maryland area of Lagos, following months of surveillance and intelligence gathering coordinated by the Zone 2 Headquarters.
The recovered drugs consisted of hundreds of bags of suspected Canadian Loud, allegedly stored in the residence of the prime suspect, Jimoh, said disclosing that the suspect was apprehended on May 19 after weeks of strategic monitoring by operatives.
Offering further details, he said the operation was executed with technical support and guidance from the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, alongside coordinated efforts between the SPU and divisional police teams.
Jimoh revealed that during the operation, the suspect allegedly attempted to bribe the SPU commander with ₦500 million to compromise the mission and allow the movement of the drug consignment.
The AIG described the development as a reflection of the renewed professionalism and operational discipline being entrenched in the Force under the current policing strategy.
He noted that the success of the operation underscored the importance of deploying specialized police units alongside conventional divisional teams in tackling organized crime.
According to him, the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of rapid containment strategies, intelligence-led policing, and professional conduct among the operatives involved in the raid.
“Rapid containment was achieved as the Special Protection Unit worked with divisional teams to secure the perimeter and prevent escape or interference with evidence.
“The operation was intelligence-driven, following months of surveillance and technical monitoring before the raid was carried out.
“The immediate rejection and documentation of the bribe attempt also reflect the standard expected from redeployed personnel at the divisional level,” Jimoh added.
Reacting to the development, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, commended the operatives for their professionalism, saying the success of the operation validated the ongoing redeployment of personnel to divisions and units across Lagos and Ogun states.
The IGP noted: “Policing must be close to the people, and our specialized units must work side by side with divisional teams on the ground.
“The professionalism shown by the SPU commander in rejecting a ₦500 million bribe and following due procedure is the standard we expect. It shows that when you put your best foot forward at the grassroots, you get results and restore public trust.”
Disu further assured that the Force leadership would continue to reward integrity while holding officers accountable to the highest ethical standards.
Police authorities said exhibits recovered during the operation have been properly documented and will be tendered in court. The suspects are currently in custody while investigations continue to track down other members of the drug trafficking network.
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