…Says Nigerians Can Only Look To God For Hope
By Jeremy Fregene
Former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has launched a scathing critique of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, declaring that many of those who once vilified former President Goodluck Jonathan as “clueless” are now in power, yet have failed to improve the fortunes of the nation.
Speaking on Monday on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Oritsejafor expressed deep concern over the state of the country, arguing that Nigerians have become increasingly disillusioned by worsening economic hardship, insecurity, and declining living standards under the current administration.
According to the respected cleric, the lofty promises encapsulated in the Tinubu administration’s “Renewed Hope” agenda have failed to translate into tangible relief for ordinary citizens, many of whom are grappling with soaring inflation, rising food prices, and mounting social challenges.
“The average Nigerian today has no hope, except if you say you look up to God to give you hope,” Oritsejafor declared, lamenting what he described as a growing sense of despair across the country.
The former CAN president went further, contending that the present government has inflicted unprecedented hardship on Nigerians.
“The government of Tinubu has done more harm to this nation than this nation has ever experienced,” he said.
While stopping short of directly calling on Tinubu to resign, Oritsejafor urged the President to undertake an honest self-assessment regarding his capacity to address the country’s mounting challenges.
“I would not sit here categorically and tell him to resign. But I think what I would say to him is, look, don’t pretend to know what to do when you don’t know what to do. Don’t pretend that you can take Nigeria out of where it is now, when you know you can’t,” he stated.
In one of the most pointed aspects of his intervention, Oritsejafor revisited the fierce political campaigns and nationwide protests that characterised the final years of the Jonathan administration, particularly during the contentious fuel subsidy removal crisis of 2012 and the build-up to the 2015 general election.
Jonathan’s presidency was repeatedly attacked by opposition politicians and activists who accused his government of incompetence and lack of direction. The “clueless” label became a recurring political slogan employed by critics who argued that Nigeria required stronger leadership to tackle corruption, insecurity, and economic stagnation.
However, Oritsejafor argued that many of those critics are today occupying the highest positions in government, making the country’s current predicament all the more troubling.
“Where are those people now? Are they not the same people today who are in power?” he asked.
“People who called him clueless, but they wouldn’t allow him to do the things he needed to do. They protested against him all over the place in Lagos especially, and across the country.”
The outspoken cleric maintained that several individuals and groups that sponsored or supported protests against Jonathan are now part of the nation’s governing establishment.
“Now, the people who sponsored all those protests, who did a lot of all those things, many of them are the people in power today. So, now they have the clue, but look at where Nigeria is now,” he said.
Oritsejafor, who was one of Jonathan’s most prominent public supporters during the 2015 presidential election campaign, also dismissed suggestions that he regretted backing the former President.
Asked whether subsequent developments had caused him to rethink that support, he responded emphatically: “No, I don’t.”