Osun APC chieftain Oyintiloye urges support for Tinubu amid economic hardship
- Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, an APC leader in Osun State, says Nigerians should encourage President Tinubu rather than criticise him.
- He says the petrol subsidy removal and naira float were tough but necessary, and that Tinubu inherited a battered economy.
- He also asks the President to review social intervention programmes to ease hardship, and predicts a 2027 win.
An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Osun State, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has asked Nigerians to give President Bola Tinubu encouragement rather than harsh criticism as the cost of living continues to bite.
Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker, spoke to journalists in Osogbo on Sunday. He said the President means well for Nigerians and is working to fix the country's economic problems.
His appeal comes as many households across Nigeria still struggle with high food prices, fuel costs and a weaker naira, three years after the government ended the petrol subsidy and allowed the currency to trade more freely.
What he said
Oyintiloye did not deny that Nigerians are suffering. He argued, however, that Tinubu should not carry all the blame for the country's economic troubles.
"What he met when he assumed office was a battered economy," he said, adding that the President has been working round the clock since then.
According to him, the subsidy removal and the floating of the naira were hard decisions, but necessary ones that could pay off if properly carried through. He said the policies have started to show positive results.
"What the President needs at this point is our encouragement, not harsh criticism or name-calling," Oyintiloye said.
He also had a message for opposition politicians who are using the hardship to campaign against Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election. He said it would be unwise to turn the economic situation into a weapon, arguing that none of the opposition candidates would do better based on their records in previous offices.
At the same time, the APC chieftain urged the President to do more to reduce the pain ordinary Nigerians feel. He advised a review of social intervention programmes aimed at vulnerable groups, and asked that other economic policies be strengthened to lighten the burden on the masses.
"The government must continue to look for ways to ease the hardship being experienced by the masses," he said.
Oyintiloye said he expects Tinubu to win the 2027 election by a wide margin, pointing to what he described as achievements across sectors, and asked Nigerians to keep praying for the President.
What happens next
Oyintiloye's comments are the latest sign that the ruling party is trying to defend its economic record while acknowledging public pain. Whether the government reviews its cash transfer and other support programmes, and how quickly relief reaches poor households, will shape how voters judge the administration before 2027.
