Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has come under scrutiny from Phrank Shaibu, a special assistant on Public Communication to Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Shaibu claims that Tinubu’s recent criticisms of President Major-General Muhammad Buhari (retd.) are an attempt to distance himself from the failures of the APC, which he has staunchly defended since 2015. This statement was made on Wednesday in response to Tinubu’s comments during a rally in Calabar, where he remarked on the drastic increase in the exchange rate, stating, “Today, they moved the exchange rate from N200 to N800. If they had repaired it, if they had arrested this, we wouldn’t be where we are today; we would be greater. They don’t know the way, they don’t know how to think, they don’t know how to do it.”
Earlier, at a rally in Abeokuta, Tinubu had also made significant remarks regarding the scarcity of new naira notes and fuel shortages. In a press release, Shaibu accused Tinubu of disingenuously criticizing President Buhari in a bid to extricate himself from the failures of the APC, which he had vigorously defended over the past eight years. He warned Nigerians not to be deceived by what he termed Tinubu’s charlatanism, as the candidate now attempts to align himself with the masses.
Shaibu expressed disbelief that Tinubu, who has proudly held the title of national leader of the APC for the last eight years, would now throw the President “under the bus” in his desperate quest for power. He emphasized that Tinubu embodies the APC in every sense, having been its national leader even before Buhari became the presidential candidate. He questioned whether it is possible for a snail to deny its own shell, urging Tinubu to take ownership of the failures of his party over the past eight years. According to Shaibu, Tinubu’s latest comments are merely diversionary tactics.
Furthermore, Shaibu criticized Tinubu’s timing, questioning why he has only now begun to address the ongoing petrol scarcity that Nigerians have faced for nearly a year. He pointed out that Tinubu is only attacking Buhari’s policies, many of which have been in place for years, as elections approach. He recalled that former Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun had stated at a Tinubu symposium in March 2017 that it was Tinubu’s economic policy that the Buhari administration was following. Shaibu challenged Tinubu’s sudden attempt to distance himself from his own failed policies.
Shaibu also highlighted the connections between Tinubu and key political figures, noting that Ahmad Lawan, whom Tinubu openly supported, is the current Senate President, and Femi Gbajabiamila, his godson, serves as the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Both have been described as rubber stamps for Buhari’s administration, approving loans that have further weakened the currency. Shaibu questioned Tinubu’s silence during these developments and asked where he was when these policies were being implemented. He also pointed out that Yemi Osinbajo, who served as Tinubu’s commissioner for eight years, has been part of Buhari’s economic team and chaired the National Economic Council as Vice-President. Shaibu concluded by questioning why Tinubu did not speak up when these policies were enacted.
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