In his open letter to President Bola Tinubu, former Sokoto state governor Attahiru Bafarawa has drawn criticism from Philip Agbese, a member of the House of Representatives who represents the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency in Benue State.
Agbese accused Bafarawa of trying to discredit Tinubu’s administration’s accomplishments and misrepresenting its reality in a statement.
The previous governor’s accusations of authoritarianism and economic incompetence were rejected by him, who claimed that they did not acknowledge the difficult choices required to stabilize Nigeria.
“You have decades of political experience and have served Nigeria well, and I recognize that you have the right to voice concerns about the situation in our beloved nation. But as an elder statesman, your job should be to provide impartial, fair advise rather than propagate myths that don’t reflect the situation on the ground,” Agbese said.
In addition, the lawmaker defended Tinubu’s handling of insecurity, pointing out that the problems existed before his administration and would take time to fix.
He outlined the president’s initiatives to restructure the security sector, which include enhancing regional cooperation and selecting new military and intelligence chiefs.
President Tinubu did not start the insurgency that has afflicted Nigeria, which includes banditry in the North-West, terrorism in the Northeast, and the IPOB insurgency in the South-East. Notwithstanding its best efforts, the previous administration found it difficult to completely contain these risks. He asserted that there is no honest observer of Nigeria’s governing environment who would deny that the nation was in terrible shape when President Tinubu assumed office.
Bafarawa said that the government was suppressing opposition, while Agbese countered that Tinubu had been more inclusive than his predecessors.
He said the president has put together a government that is not based on political connections but on talent.
President Tinubu has, for the record, shown a greater dedication to inclusivity than any other democratic president in Nigerian history. This is demonstrated by his well-curated cabinet, which reflects the nation’s diversity in terms of both geographical and professional ability and expertise,” he stated.
On economic changes, Agbese justified the elimination of gasoline subsidies and the reorganization of Nigeria’s financial system, claiming that earlier governments had failed to take the required yet challenging actions. He maintained that Tinubu was taking a significant political risk by fixing historical economic incompetence.
The choice to eliminate fuel subsidies, for example, was difficult but essential. He claimed that while the subsidy system benefited a select few, it had depleted national funds that could have been used for healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
He also called Bafarawa’s allegation that Tinubu was pursuing a one-party state “baseless” and a misrepresentation of the president’s lengthy background in opposition politics.
It is contradictory and illogical to suggest that he is now trying to quell resistance. Tinubu himself became the leader of the opposition. According to Agbese, it is ironic and baseless to imply that he would now try to destroy the very system he assisted in creating.
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The member recommended that Bafarawa take a more impartial stand and work toward the advancement of the country rather than sowing discord.
He insisted that Tinubu’s leadership was guiding Nigeria toward recovery despite the country’s significant difficulties.
