A former Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has provided reasons why he feels President Bola Tinubu would fare well in a free and fair election if it were conducted today.
Oshiomhole, a member of the Nigerian Senate, said the President has already done enough to deserve a second term in office.
Tinubu, while campaigning ahead of the 2023 general elections, made a couple of promises. While some of those promises have been fulfilled, some are still far from being fulfilled.
During an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, the former Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) President was asked if he thinks President Tinubu will win if there were a free and fair election today, given where Nigerians have found themselves in all ramifications, including the economy, politics, and security.
“He will win very well. Now I give you an example. If you listen, as I’m sure you probably did this morning, among the senators that rejoined the APC, rejoined in the sense that they were co-founders of the APC.
“One of them said that before President Tinubu assumed office, people from his senatorial zone could no longer go to the farm because of the level of insecurity. He announced with joy, black and white in the letter he wrote to the Senate President, which was read on the floor, that as he speaks, the people are now able to go to their farms, and that for him, that was a plus for President Tinubu.
“He went on to narrate how a certain road that has been constructed has made life much, much easier for the people of his senatorial area. However, he expects that the government will do much more now that he is in the party.
“He will take advantage of the opportunity and ensure that more things are done.
“So, if you sit in Lagos, you may not be able to understand that, whereas there are general problems, which, as we speak, sometimes we are all guilty of sweeping generalizations. We either dismiss everything. If I score 49%, people say I failed. You say fail, even if there is F6, F7, or F9. If you look at just one part, what point should interest you?
“One of the things that a lot of Nigerians were troubled about is an exchange rate regime in which, just by the fact that you are connected to the Governor of the Central Bank, he allocates $20 million to you at 350 Naira to the dollar. Then, without much ado, you take it to the next person, and you are 100% richer.
“Now, President Tinubu could have decided to benefit from that before putting an end to it. But he said from day one, if it is wrong, don’t touch it with the pole.
“He has abolished that today. What the President gets in exchange rate is what Oshiomhole gets. That is what Jeffrey gets if you want to travel or if you want to buy anything that is made in Nigeria.
“So, he eliminated that free rate, which was accruing to very few people who were close to the Central Bank Governor or Central Bank management.
“And so, Nigerian bankers who, without doing proper banking, were just speculating on exchange ratesthe more allocation you get, the more money you make, and the more profit you declare— all of that has been eliminated. It takes courage.”
