Former Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, has responded to the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) regarding their expressed regrets for supporting President Bola Tinubu. He argues that the Northern elders endorsed Tinubu based on expectations rather than principles.
According to Masari, those who now regret their support for President Tinubu only did so because their support was rooted in expectations rather than firm principles.
Masari believes that it is premature for critics to pass judgment on the administration, as it has only been in power for a short period of time.
Masari further points out that the fuel subsidy removal, which has caused significant hardship in the country, was also promised during the campaign by other leading contestants in the 2023 presidential election. He emphasizes that the economic crises being experienced in Nigeria are not unique to the country alone.
Masari said, “Those who say they are regretting supporting him (Tinubu) are saying it because they did not support his principles. They supported his expectations, and when those expectations were not met for them, then they could say they regretted it,” he said.
In response to the criticisms from the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Peter Obi, Masari argues that the opposition would not have been able to alleviate the hardships faced by Nigerians within the same timeframe that Tinubu has been in power.
He suggests that all political parties campaigned on subsidy removal, and therefore, it is unfair to solely blame the current administration.
