An organization backing Oyo State Gov. Seyi Makinde criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over economic hardship, while reports differed on whether the group was responding to his subsidy comments or an earlier address.
Premium Times’ headline and summary connected the criticism to Tinubu’s Oct. 1 Independence Day address. The outlet’s story body and Tribune Online framed it as a response to his Oct. 19 comments, when he defended removing the petrol subsidy. The reports do not establish whether the group intended to address both occasions or chiefly the later remarks.
The Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation issued its statement on Oct. 21, Tribune Online reported. Richard Ihediwa, the group’s director of strategic communications, signed it, the outlet said. Premium Times reported that the statement questioned Tinubu’s ability to lead Nigeria toward a more prosperous future; Tribune Online gave a different version of the group’s comparison.
Tinubu met young supporters from the City Boy Movement on Oct. 19, the State House said. Its account listed petrol subsidy removal, currency reforms and tax restructuring among his major economic reforms. TheCable reported that Tinubu argued Nigeria would go bankrupt if subsidy payments returned. Channels Television also reported that he rejected restoring them.
The campaign group blamed Tinubu’s administration for economic pressure, citing food and transport costs, rent, weaker purchasing power, unemployment and insecurity. It promoted Makinde’s “Reset Nigeria” agenda as an alternative, describing it as focused on inclusive governance, accountability, security and productivity.
The group has also raised broader economic concerns in an earlier campaign warning. Tinubu’s Oct. 1 address marked Nigeria’s 66th year of independence and described a future of abundance and opportunity. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for Jan. 16, 2027.
