Bode George, a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has suggested that President Bola Tinubu’s perceived poor performance in his first year in office is due to the time spent studying and correcting the failures of the previous administration led by Muhammadu Buhari. George, who has been a long-time critic of Tinubu, acknowledged that while Tinubu was part of the party that brought Buhari to power, leading the nation as president is a significantly different challenge.
In an interview with Arise Television, George called for patience from Nigerians, urging them to give Tinubu another year to deliver on his electoral promises. He compared Tinubu’s initial year to that of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who also needed time to adjust when he first took office in 1999.
George emphasized that despite Tinubu’s involvement with the Buhari government, his direct leadership experience at the presidential level was non-existent before this term. He argued that a grace period was necessary for Tinubu to fully understand and address the country’s issues. Additionally, George highlighted the need for Tinubu’s ministers to identify and rectify areas of lapses from the previous administration.
Previously, in a May 23, 2024 address, George urged President Tinubu to restructure his economic team and transparently communicate the country’s true situation to Nigerians. Reflecting on Nigeria’s progress since the return of democracy in 1999, George lamented that the country has not lived up to its potential as the “Giant of Africa.” He stressed that genuine progress would require a collective effort from both leaders and citizens.
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