Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has faulted ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s recent criticism of President Bola Tinubu, arguing that the current administration has outperformed expectations in economic reforms.
While affirming Obasanjo’s earlier judgment that Muhammadu Buhari was Nigeria’s “worst president ever,” Omokri rejected comparisons suggesting Tinubu’s government was no better.
“Buhari inherited a $500 billion economy from Jonathan and left behind less than half of that. He was a disaster in governance,” Omokri said in a statement on Tuesday. “But I disagree with President Obasanjo’s assertion in his new book that Tinubu’s administration is competing with Buhari’s. The facts prove otherwise.”
Omokri pointed to Tinubu’s economic record, noting a 25 percent GDP expansion in under two years and a reduction of Nigeria’s national debt from $108.2 billion to $94.2 billion. He also cited reforms such as the 2025 Nigeria Tax Act and the landmark Local Government Autonomy Bill.
“Tinubu has reformed Nigeria’s political economy in a way no civilian or military government ever managed,” Omokri argued. “From improvements in corruption perception rankings to gains in security indices, the evidence shows Obasanjo may have misjudged him.”
Omokri, however, stressed his respect for Obasanjo as a “historical figure who has served Nigeria in peace and war.”