Tinubu’s Friends, Govt Officials Are Sole Beneficiaries Of His Economic Reforms – Rhodes-Vivour
2 years ago 2 min read
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As Nigerians continue to grapple with the hardship caused by President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the 2023 Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Lagos State, has stated that the reforms primarily benefit Tinubu’s associates and government officials.
Rhodes-Vivour noted that while many hardworking Nigerians struggle to cover basic expenses such as food and transportation, the federal government prioritizes luxury, including budgeting for bulletproof cars and other non-essential items.
He expressed these views on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, monitored by THE WHISTLER.
“Today, over 70 percent of people’s income is spent on transportation and food. They’ve not even started to think of how they’re going to afford accommodation,” Rhodes-Vivour lamented.
“We’ve a situation where there’s a culture of wastefulness, extravagance that does not reflect the dire economic situation that the same President is pushing out that needs to be reformed. Reformation should be in the interest of the people. At the moment, the only people that seem to be benefiting from these reforms are maybe the bankers because of the FX windfall, the people in government and the president’s friends.”
Upon assuming office, Tinubu removed petrol subsidies and floated the naira, Nigeria’s currency. These reforms have caused sharp increases in food prices and transportation costs, plunging many Nigerians into poverty and hunger.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), food inflation reached 39.93 percent year-on-year in November 2024, up from 39.16 percent in October. The bureau attributed this to rising prices of staples such as rice, maize, bread, potatoes, and cooking oil.
Looking ahead to 2027, Rhodes-Vivour confirmed his intention to contest the Lagos State governorship again but did not specify whether he would remain with LP or switch to another political platform.
“By God’s grace, yes,” he said when asked about his plans for the next gubernatorial election.
He also emphasized the need for a unified opposition to counter what he described as “state capture.”
“I believe that if all parties do not come together, it is going to be a waste of time running in 2027 because there is a full state capture happening in this country now.
“We cannot afford for the opposition to be separate. For now, my job is to ensure that I have a strong party – Labour Party,” Rhodes-vivour said.
