Atiku, Obi Have Nothing to Offer Nigerians, Tinubu a Reformer – Okupe

Veteran politician Dr. Doyin Okupe has expressed his belief that neither former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nor Peter Obi of the Labour Party offers viable solutions for Nigeria. In an exclusive interview with The Vanguard, Okupe praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a reformer whose policies, though challenging in the short term, would begin to yield positive results in two years.

Okupe, who has served as a spokesperson for two former presidents, dismissed claims that the 2023 presidential election was rigged, arguing that the opposition’s accusations lack merit. According to him, elections in Nigeria have historically been flawed, and no administration since 1960 has been immune from allegations of rigging.

“Obi was substantially supported by the South-East, yet APC lost in Tinubu’s stronghold of Lagos. How can the opposition claim rigging when Tinubu lost his own base?” Okupe questioned.

Addressing concerns about the state of the economy under Tinubu, Okupe said the president inherited a severely broken system. He commended Tinubu’s decision to tackle fuel subsidies, address foreign exchange arbitrage, and implement student loan programs. These reforms, Okupe argued, are laying the foundation for long-term recovery, even if they cause short-term hardship.

Okupe dismissed Atiku’s policy proposals as theoretical, claiming they were predicated on obtaining loans that were unlikely to materialize due to Nigeria’s poor credit standing under former President Muhammadu Buhari. He was even more critical of Obi, asserting that the Labour Party candidate lacked a detailed policy document and relied on vague rhetoric about transforming Nigeria from consumption to production.

“Tinubu came into office with the most credible policy framework, his Renewed Hope Agenda, and he is systematically implementing it,” Okupe stated. He likened Tinubu’s leadership approach to that of former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, emphasizing the need for focus and determination during difficult times.

While acknowledging that Tinubu’s presidency has faced criticism, Okupe argued that it is unfair to blame him for decades of systemic failures. “This is a reformist government tackling problems that others refused to address. Nigerians must endure the current hardship and trust that the results will follow,” he concluded.