The All Progressives Congress (APC) has hit back at former President Olusegun Obasanjo following his criticisms of President Bola Tinubu. Obasanjo had recently condemned Tinubu’s economic policies and his handling of the coup in Niger Republic, calling the policies poorly executed and detrimental to Nigeria’s economy.
Obasanjo specifically pointed to the removal of subsidies, the unification of the exchange rate, and the approach to the Niger coup as flawed decisions by Tinubu.
Responding to these remarks, APC National Director Bala Ibrahim dismissed Obasanjo’s comments, labeling him a serial critic. Ibrahim suggested that the 87-year-old former president is showing signs of senility. “As a Nigerian who respects Obasanjo, I think senility is beginning to set in,” Ibrahim said.
He further claimed that Obasanjo has a history of attacking successive administrations ever since he failed to secure a third term in office. “He sees himself as the only one who meant well for Nigeria, thinking he’s the best and others are bad,” Ibrahim continued. “This isn’t good for a statesman—no one has a monopoly on knowledge or leadership.”
Ibrahim also argued that Obasanjo’s record as president was not exemplary and that his critiques are a recurring pattern. “Obasanjo has always been critical of his successors, including Buhari and Jonathan. Yet, he didn’t fare any better when he was in office,” Ibrahim alleged. “In fact, he oversaw the fragmentation of Nigeria’s economy.”
He questioned how Obasanjo could criticize Tinubu’s efforts to improve the economy, concluding that Obasanjo’s remarks are just another example of his habitual criticism of every Nigerian leader except himself.