Oshiomhole blames Obasanjo and Atiku for factory closures, urges Ekiti to back Tinubu

Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North, has laid the loss of major Nigerian factories at the door of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his vice president, Atiku Abubakar.

Speaking on Thursday at an All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in Ekiti State, Oshiomhole said the Obasanjo-Atiku years saw companies such as Michelin and Dunlop shut down, leaving Nigeria buying more from abroad than it makes at home.

The senator, a former labour leader and an APC chieftain, is asking Ekiti voters to back President Bola Tinubu in 2027. He pointed to the new minimum wage approved under the current government as evidence that it stands with workers.

What Oshiomhole said

Oshiomhole recalled that Atiku, while in office, said on television that the government he served in spent $16 billion on power.

"So you ask Atiku how many more US dollars do you need?"

He also turned Atiku's complaints about unemployment back on him, asking who was in charge when the factories closed.

"Who reduced Nigeria to importer of everything from underwear to socks? It was done by the government and party which Atiku belonged to."

The claims are Oshiomhole's own account of events and have not been tested in court. Atiku and Obasanjo have not responded in the reports reviewed here.

Why it matters

Factory closures and heavy imports are not just history for ordinary Nigerians. They help explain why so many goods on shop shelves come from outside the country and why steady factory jobs have been hard to find.

Oshiomhole's remarks also show how the 2027 campaign is already being fought over the record of past governments, not only the present one.

For workers, the minimum wage he mentioned is the pocketbook issue. Whether it is paid in full and on time is what many families will be watching.

What happens next: Expect more of this exchange as the campaigns move across the states. Atiku's camp has yet to reply publicly to Oshiomhole's claims.