Lagos: A former Labour Party (LP) Chieftain, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has described President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s reform agenda as the most credible compared to those of other presidential candidates in the 2023 presidential election. Okupe, who previously served as the Spokesman to former President Goodluck Jonathan, shared his assessment of Tinubu’s reform agenda, despite not supporting him during the election.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Okupe stated, “Though I never supported Tinubu ahead of the election; he is not my friend and we were not in the same party, in retrospect however, his reform agenda is the most credible.” He emphasized that the Renewed Hope Agenda introduced by Tinubu addresses the country’s current challenges effectively.
Okupe further elaborated that Tinubu’s policy document was superior to those of his two main rivals during the 2023 presidential election. He acknowledged Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as an experienced politician with a testament th
at would have been binding on him and Nigerians. However, Okupe argued that Atiku’s plans were not applicable in the current reality, as they relied on loans that were not available due to the fiscal situation left by former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Okupe also compared Tinubu’s approach to that of Peter Obi of the Labour Party, noting that Obi did not present any policy document to Nigerians. Okupe critiqued the Labour Party’s lack of a grounded policy framework, saying, “All we were saying was that we wanted to take Nigeria from consumption to production; good rhetoric, but it was not grounded either in policy development or principle application.”
He highlighted Tinubu’s actions, such as the removal of the fuel subsidy and addressing foreign exchange issues, as confirmations of steps taken by the previous administration. Okupe praised Tinubu for implementing student loan and consumer protection programs, and for paying off debts that could have crippled the country’s economy. He also n
oted the establishment of a committee to examine tax reform, underscoring Tinubu’s methodical and focused agenda aimed at elevating Nigeria’s standing.