The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to seek the assistance of former President Goodluck Jonathan in addressing the country’s economic crisis.
This appeal follows recent calls from the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Organised Private Sector for a reversal of the new price regime.
Recently, NNPC raised petrol prices significantly, increasing them to N1,030 from N897 per litre in Abuja and from N868 to N998 per litre in Lagos. Similar price hikes have been observed in other locations, prompting widespread anger among Nigerians.
This latest increase, marking the second hike in just one month, reflects a rise of about 14.8 percent or N133.
In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, Dipo Olaoyoku, the National Secretary of the NNPP, expressed concern that the current administration lacks the necessary ideas to navigate Nigeria out of its challenges.
He remarked, “As far as Nigeria is concerned, nothing shocks us anymore. This present government has no iota of solution to the problem of this country. When there is a crisis in the country, and you have a government that only looks for the easy way out, it means that Nigeria is on a long journey.”
Olaoyoku questioned the government’s decisions, stating, “How can a president announce the removal of subsidy on his first day on the job without ascertaining the extent of the subsidy and the people receiving it? Within the same week, you announced the floating of the naira. At that time, Nigeria was solely dependent on imported fuel, with the prices being determined by the naira.”
He added, “This government is bereft of ideas. Unfortunately, if you look at the people he has appointed into offices, you cannot identify a competent one among them. I just pity Nigerians. After surviving the hurricane of Buhari, see what Nigeria has been reduced to. It is catastrophic. This government has no compassion for any Nigerian.”
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Olaoyoku continued to lament that instead of enlisting technocrats from diverse fields, the President has surrounded himself with political allies.
He suggested that seeking the counsel of experienced leaders like Jonathan could be beneficial, stating, “Again, they can beg Dr. Goodluck Jonathan for help on how he was able to retain the rate of the naira to the dollar at N200 before the APC came on board. Let them go and beg him.”
In a counter-response, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) dismissed Olaoyoku’s remarks, labeling him an armchair analyst lacking insight.
National Publicity Director of the APC, Bala Ibrahim, suggested that the opposition should encourage its lone governor in Kano to present the matter at the next National Council of State meeting, where Jonathan would also be present.
He asserted, “If the NNPP had a solution to the problem, it would have been in power. They don’t have the foresight. Even Nigerians know and don’t have the confidence that they have the foresight to address the economic challenges of the country. The NNPP is speaking from the comfort of the opposition and out of the misunderstanding of the challenges facing Nigeria.”
Ibrahim continued, “The NNPP we are talking about has only one state in the federation, which is Kano, and its governor is a member of the National Council of State, just like former President Goodluck Jonathan. The council is known to discuss the problems of the state periodically.”
“So if the NNPP is speaking out of sincerity and patriotism, let the Kano governor advance this suggestion at the Council of State where Jonathan is seated so the problem can be addressed there in the interest of the nation. He shouldn’t be speaking from the comfort of a tea party and just be giving suggestions that are not in tandem with common sense.”
