Breaking: Sanusi Warns Tinubu, "Issue A Statement From the Villa"
- Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, spoke at the Oxford Global Think Tank conference convened by Arunma Oteh
- Sanusi warned that Nigeria was heading towards hyperinflation and near economic collapse in 2023
- The former CBN Governor urged the Tinubu administration to stop treating poverty discussions as political attacks
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The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has warned the administration of President Bola Tinubu to be more receptive to public concerns about poverty rather than dismissing critics as enemies of government.
Sanusi made the remarks at the Oxford Global Think Tank conference, an event convened by former World Bank Vice President Arunma Oteh.
Source: Twitter
The former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor said the government's habit of issuing statements from the Presidential Villa to condemn those raising economic concerns was counterproductive. He argued that citizens speaking about poverty are not attacking the President personally, and that the government needs to draw a clear distinction between criticism and hostility.
Sanusi on Nigeria's economic brink
Sanusi said Nigeria was dangerously close to economic collapse in 2023, describing the country as having been on the verge of hyperinflation at the time. He noted that this was a position he had held and expressed even during his tenure as CBN Governor, and that the severity of the situation was not always properly understood by the public.
While he acknowledged that some progress had been made in pulling the country back from that edge, particularly in moderating inflation, he stressed that the government still needed to do more to engage honestly with the hardship many Nigerians are experiencing.
"President Tinubu's government needs to listen more. It's not every time people talk about poverty that you just issue a statement from the Villa and condemn them as enemies of the government or an attack on the President," Sanusi said.
He added: "I personally think that in terms of pulling back from the brink, dealing with inflation... look, we were heading towards hyperinflation. People need to understand that we were on the brink of economic collapse in 2023. It's something I've been saying since I was CBN Governor."
Sanusi's comments come as the Tinubu administration continues to face pressure over the cost of living in Nigeria, with many households struggling to cope with the effects of fuel subsidy removal and currency devaluation introduced since mid-2023.
See the video of the Emir's comment on X here:
Analyst speaks on Tinubu's chances in 2027
Earlier, political analyst Omotayo Yusuf told Legit.ng that President Bola Tinubu's 2027 re-election approach differs sharply from his 2023 campaign strategy.
Yusuf said Tinubu is leaning on governors across party lines, including in Anambra and Osun, to secure support ahead of the election.
The analyst raised concerns about balancing campaign duties with governing responsibilities as Tinubu seeks a second term.
Source: Legit.ng
