The former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Bode George, has said that President Bola Tinubu dedicated his initial year in office to studying and rectifying the shortcomings of Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
George made these remarks during an interview on Arise Television on Friday.
The former military governor of Ondo State called on Nigerians to allow President Tinubu an additional year to fulfill his campaign promises and improve the nation’s situation.
He emphasized that, although Tinubu was integral in establishing the Buhari government, leading the country presents distinct challenges.
“He (Tinubu) had never served at that level (presidency). Well… you will say he was part of the party (APC) that formed the government (of Muhammadu Buhari), but it’s a hell of a different thing taking over and now leading the team. To be fair to my conscience, he has had that one-year holiday of trying to study the failures of the past administration. I have given him that one year of grace because now he has seen it and lived there,” George remarked.
George asserted that Tinubu’s lack of presidential experience justifies a grace period, drawing a parallel with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who also required time to adapt during his first year in office.
“I expect his ministers to have come back in one year with those areas of lapses. Even when Baba (Olusegun Obasanjo) became president in 1999, he was still trying to figure out what happened there or vice versa in his first year. Let’s give him more time,” he added.
Previously, on May 23, 2024, George urged President Tinubu to overhaul his economic team and transparently communicate the nation’s true state during his address titled ‘My Thoughts on The State of Our Country in the Last 25 Years: A Time to Chart A New Direction’ in Lagos.
He criticized Nigeria’s failure to live up to its reputation as the Giant of Africa since the return of democracy in 1999, stating that the country’s progress has been insufficient 25 years after military rule ended.
He asserted that Nigeria could reclaim its stature through the collective efforts of both leaders and citizens but stressed that a fair assessment of Tinubu’s administration could only be made after more time in office.
