Chief Olabode George, the former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has expressed deep concerns about the state of Nigeria, stating that the country’s fortunes plummeted under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

George, noting that one year is too short to evaluate President Bola Tinubu’s administration, urged the President to communicate the nation’s true status transparently. Reflecting on Nigeria’s democratic journey since 1999, George criticized successive governments for failing to address the country’s issues.

“This crisis became complicated between 2015 and 2023 during the administration of my oga President Muhammadu Buhari. The Nigerian state almost collapsed because many Nigerians will agree that that eight-year era was probably the worst in Nigerian history since 1960 when we got our independence,” he emphasized.

George expressed dissatisfaction with those blaming the current administration for the nation’s woes, arguing that one year is insufficient to judge Tinubu’s performance.

“Pitiably, some Nigerians have resorted to a blame game. We must be careful in this country because Nigeria is not for any individual, group, or region. Nigeria belongs to everybody. It is through cooperation and unanimity of purpose that we can lift the country up. They are now blaming the Bola Tinubu administration, which has spent about one year in office,” he said.

However, he called on Tinubu to revamp his economic team, citing the deteriorating standard of living due to high living costs.

“Tinubu should also come out and tell Nigerians the true position of things in the country. This is not the time to play party or regional politics. Nigerians have suffered enough, and they want fast results. Nigerians are also saying loud and clear that the skewed political power structure constitutes a huge hindrance to national development,” he added.

George stressed the need for true federalism, arguing that the concentration of political power hinders national progress and stifles individual state growth and development.

“This is the time to listen to the voice of reason because real progress lies in true federalism and good governance. We have been operating this constitution since 1999, which has taken us nowhere. It is only a fool who will be doing the same thing repeatedly and expect a different result,” he concluded.