Jamiu Abiola, son of the late Nigerian business mogul Chief MKO Abiola, has claimed that the same forces that annulled the June 12, 1993, election and denied his father the presidency are now undermining President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Abiola, currently serving as Special Assistant to the President on Special Duties, spoke during an interview on Channels Television, coinciding with ongoing protests demanding better living conditions.
Beginning on August 1, the #EndBadGovernance protests emerged from widespread discontent over economic conditions and government policies.
With thousands taking to the streets, demonstrators are demanding urgent government intervention to address the soaring cost of living and other socio-economic issues.
Abiola described the protesters as emotional and failing to consider the achievements of President Tinubu.
“There are some people who have sinister motives. The same people that worked against my dad and canceled his election.
Do you think they would want someone who was trying to support my dad to become president and succeed? It’s the same forces that we have now,” he stated.
He further argued that the current challenges are a test from God and urged Nigerians to be patient and allow the President more time.
“Sometimes for things to get better, it has to get tough. It’s a test and it’s from God. You see, God is testing people and it’s not just in Nigeria. There’s the hand of God in everything,” Abiola added.
Several violent incidents, including deaths and looting, have marred the protests, intensifying the tense situation and prompting calls for an end to the protests.
While the Northern parts of the country have been rocked by the incidents of violence and arson, the South East and South West have largely experienced peaceful rallies.
Abiola emphasised the uniqueness of Tinubu’s presidency, suggesting that the president’s commitment to democracy and love for the common man set him apart from his predecessors.
“The president we have now is a different kind of president because he believes in democracy, he believes in and loves the common man.
“He needs to be given time. Those protesting are emotional and have not sat down to think of the president’s achievements since he assumed office.
“This government is a government that has shown so much love for Nigerians because of the fact that the government realizes that Nigerians are victims of broken promises.
“Nigeria’s problem did not start today. When this government came, the president said it himself that he feels the pains of Nigerians,” Abiola noted.
In a separate interview with Arise TV, he underscored Tinubu’s history of helping people and his in-built feedback mechanism.
“This is a man that before he became the president, you would go to his house and you will see people lined up. He has always been helping people.
“He is somebody that has always been getting feedback. That feedback mechanism is in-built in him. That is who he is. He is somebody that listens. He is a man these protesters would have always reached out to.
“He has an open-door policy, so, why do you have to break into a door when the door is not locked?”
Abiola cited several proactive measures taken by the Tinubu administration to address critical issues, including combating oil theft in the Niger Delta, implementing a Youth Investment Fund, and alleviating hunger through the release of grains from the strategic reserve.
“We have a president that is trying to solve real problems. Look at it, he has spoken to the security agencies and now there is operation going on in the Niger Delta and now the oil theft has been tackled,” he said.
He also mentioned the establishment of a ₦120 billion Youth Investment Fund and the release of $220 million to Nigerian tech companies to boost youth innovation.
“This is something that has never been done by any president in Nigeria before, and then there is the student loan,” he added.
Abiola implored Nigerians to remain hopeful, despite the current hardships.
“The hunger is real and the president sees that and that is why he took out forty-two thousand from the strategic reserve of the grains. Nigerians have to be more patient.”
Addressing the growing ethnic sentiments and the president’s perceived silence, Abiola defended Tinubu’s character, portraying him as someone with a “big heart” and a deep love for all Nigerians.
He highlighted the peaceful acceptance of electoral results in Lagos as evidence of the president’s impartiality.
“The president is somebody with a big heart. Even when the election came up and Peter Obi won in Lagos, there was no contest about it. Nobody said he didn’t win. At the end of the day, the president loves everybody.”
