A consultant to the Ogun State Government, Ogundele, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of the fuel subsidy, describing the policy as a necessary step towards addressing longstanding structural challenges in Nigeria’s economy.
Ogundele argued that the economic difficulties confronting the country predated the Tinubu administration, recalling warnings by former Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala about the underlying problems facing the Nigerian economy.
He maintained that successive administrations had failed to adequately address the challenges, adding that subsidy removal was part of efforts to reform the economy and redirect government resources towards infrastructure development and other critical sectors.
“It is not the government in power today that caused it. The president said he is going to tackle the problem of this country. He is going to reform this country,” he said.
Ogundele also questioned the consistency of opposition parties on economic policies, particularly their positions on fuel subsidy removal during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2012 and its eventual implementation by Tinubu in 2023.
He argued that political parties should focus on presenting credible alternatives to government policies rather than opposing decisions simply because they were introduced by the ruling party.
According to him, economic restructuring often comes with temporary difficulties before the expected benefits become evident, urging Nigerians to exercise patience with the current administration.
“If you really want to reform, you must go through some pain. You cannot have a gain without going through some pain,” he said.
On the political situation in Ogun State, Ogundele also weighed in on the Peoples Democratic Party’s preparations for the 2027 governorship election, particularly the controversy surrounding the omission of the party and its candidate, Ladi Adebutu, from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s published list of candidates.
However, the Ogun PDP rejected concerns about Adebutu’s membership status, insisting that he was duly registered and that the party had complied with all relevant procedures.
The disagreement has further highlighted the internal challenges facing the opposition party as it prepares for the next governorship election.
Ogundele also criticised the practice of politicians defecting to other political parties after failing to secure nomination tickets during primaries.
He maintained that aspirants should respect established electoral procedures and party regulations rather than abandon their parties over unsuccessful bids for tickets.
Defending the political realignments involving governors and other politicians from opposition parties in support of Tinubu, Ogundele argued that such moves reflected confidence in the President’s reform agenda.
He further expressed optimism about Nigeria’s democratic development, describing the country’s political system as one still undergoing growth and institutional adjustments.
“We are still growing democratically in Nigeria,” he said.
He stressed the need for political parties to strengthen their internal structures, resolve leadership disputes and establish clear ideological positions to remain relevant and competitive in the country’s evolving democratic environment.
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