Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, a presidential aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has sharply criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, claiming Nigeria’s economy is far weaker than under past governments.
He challenged top officials, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor and finance minister, to a live public debate to defend their performance.
Speaking on Channels Television, Olawepo-Hashim highlighted stark GDP declines: from about $267 billion under President Olusegun Obasanjo, to over $574 billion under Goodluck Jonathan, and now down to roughly $230 billion under Tinubu. “This is a shocking regression for a nation with massive human and natural resources,” he said.
He blamed a decade of All Progressives Congress (APC) fiscal and monetary policies for failing to keep pace with population growth and development needs, urging urgent structural reforms amid warning signs of deeper weaknesses. The naira’s ongoing depreciation, he added, defies economic fundamentals, fueling a cost-of-living crisis and deterring investment.
Olawepo-Hashim noted that oil production has doubled to about 1.8 million barrels per day, with reduced fuel imports from local refining, yet the currency keeps weakening. He also downplayed Tinubu’s Lagos governorship legacy, arguing that military ruler Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) contributed more by building the Third Mainland Bridge—dismissing Tinubu’s Lekki toll bridge as minor by comparison.
On opposition politics, he dismissed the Action Democratic Congress (ADC) as unviable, calling many of its members—aside from Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar—“Buharists” tied to Nigeria’s economic and security woes.
