Former spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kola Ologbondiyan, has expressed his concerns about the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira, which he believes have left Nigeria in a dire economic situation.

Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, Ologbondiyan criticized the approach taken by President Bola Tinubu’s administration, arguing that the decisions were rushed and lacked sufficient measures to cushion the effects on the masses.

Ologbondiyan stated that the phased removal of the petrol subsidy, coupled with adequate palliatives, could have been a more effective strategy.

He pointed out that during the PDP’s administration, subsidy removal was handled gradually, ensuring that Nigerians were not left to bear the brunt of the changes abruptly.

“What has brought Nigeria to its knees are the twin decisions made by President Bola Tinubu, particularly the removal of the fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira.

These policies have severely impacted the average Nigerian,” he remarked.

The former PDP spokesperson also questioned the effectiveness of the current administration’s palliatives, which have largely focused on distributing subsidized rice.

He argued that Nigerians require much more than food relief, emphasizing the need for a robust public transportation system.

“The APC government is asking Nigerians to buy rice at N40,000 per bag as a form of relief, but people’s needs extend far beyond rice.

What about affordable transportation? A functional public transport system would reduce the need for individuals to rely on private vehicles, which consume costly fuel,” he explained.

The governors reportedly discussed the pressing need for comprehensive reforms that would address the economic challenges facing the country without exacerbating the suffering of the citizens.

Reflecting on the PDP’s past leadership, Ologbondiyan reiterated that the party’s approach to reforms was rooted in careful planning and public engagement.

“Under the PDP, subsidy removal was phased and accompanied by tangible palliatives that made life easier for Nigerians.

What we see today is a government that is not engaging with the public meaningfully and is offering inadequate solutions to major economic problems,” he said.

Ologbondiyan further criticized the PDP’s current approach to opposing the administration, describing it as insufficient.

He called on his party to engage more actively with the government to propose alternatives that would better serve Nigerians.

“It’s unfortunate that even as PDP, we seem to be paying lip service to the need for robust engagement with the sitting government.

We should be presenting well-thought-out alternatives to these policies instead of just criticizing from the sidelines,” he added.

The Federal Government has reinstated Professor Joseph Ikechebelu as the new acting Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK).

In a letter dated November 18, 2024, President Tinubu nullified the controversial appointment of Professor Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh as the seventh substantive Vice-Chancellor.

Odoh’s appointment was deemed illegal as it was carried out by the now-dissolved 10th Governing Council of the university.

The letter instructed Ikechebelu to immediately resume his duties as the acting Vice-Chancellor, effectively restoring him to the position he briefly held earlier this year.

Sani-Gwarzo, in his correspondence, directed Ikechebelu to oversee the administration of the university while forwarding matters requiring council approval to the Minister of Education until a new council is constituted by the President.

This move aims to restore stability to the institution, which has faced governance challenges in recent months.

Professor Joseph Ikechebelu, a renowned scholar and experienced administrator, had initially been appointed as acting Vice-Chancellor in June 2024 but was removed in July by the former Governing Council.

His reinstatement is seen as a step toward addressing leadership disputes and ensuring smooth operations within the university.

In a related development, the Federal Government has also reinstated Victor Modebelu as the Acting Registrar of UNIZIK.

Modebelu previously held this position but was replaced by Rosemary Nwokike, whose appointment as substantive registrar was recently terminated by President Tinubu.

Myson Nejo, the governorship candidate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Ondo State, has spoken out about the issue of vote buying that marred the state’s recent gubernatorial election.

Despite coming in third place with 4,138 votes, Nejo has maintained that his loss was due to his decision to reject the corrupt practice of vote trading.

In a statement made on Sunday, Nejo expressed disappointment over the widespread vote-buying during the election.

He pointed out that candidates who could afford to buy votes from voters were the ones who emerged victorious.

Nejo, however, chose not to engage in such practices, even when faced with pressure to do so.

“I lost the election because I refused to buy votes,” Nejo said.

“But I’m proud of my decision. I didn’t give out any money, and despite that, I still received votes from the people who believed in my vision for Ondo State.

To me, those votes are legitimate and meaningful because they weren’t influenced by money or unethical tactics.”

Nejo revealed the shocking extent of the vote-buying, noting that voters were being offered as much as N20,000 in exchange for their ballots in some areas.

In his polling unit, the going rate was between N10,000 and N15,000.

Nejo explained that, because he refused to take part in these practices, he received very few votes in his unit—just two votes—while his overall tally was a modest 40 votes.

Despite this, he expressed satisfaction with the integrity of his campaign.

“People were asking me for money in exchange for their votes, but I stuck to my principles.

I told them if they wanted to vote, they could do so freely, without expecting anything from me.

I wasn’t going to give a kobo to influence the outcome of the election,” Nejo said.