Oshiomhole spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday while defending President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms and responding to criticism of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration over worsening economic hardship.
The former APC national chairman argued that many opposition figures now criticising the Tinubu government had campaigned on the same economic reforms during the 2023 presidential election.
“Playback your coverage of the 2023 election and the interviews with all the presidential candidates, including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Bola Tinubu and Kwankwaso. They all said they would remove the subsidy,” Oshiomhole said.
He acknowledged that the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira had contributed to inflation and rising living costs, but insisted the reforms were necessary because the previous subsidy regime had become unsustainable and corrupt.
“You said that because the subsidy was removed, prices skyrocketed. You are talking to the wrong person because when I was fighting against the removal of subsidy, that was my fear,” he said.
“But when subsidies became a cover for stealing in high places, I didn’t think I should be a tool to provide a facade for people to continue to bleed the economy dry.”
Oshiomhole challenged opposition leaders to openly state whether they would reverse Tinubu’s policies if elected in 2027.
“Ask Atiku one by one: will you restore the subsidy? Ask Amaechi, will you restore the subsidy? Ask whether they will create two exchange-rate regimes again as was the case before,” he stated.
The senator maintained that President Tinubu was taking difficult but necessary decisions to rebuild the economy.
“President Tinubu, like an engineer, has gone into very difficult terrain to re-engineer the Nigerian economy,” he said.
According to him, criticism from the opposition lacked substance because many of those now campaigning against the APC had no fundamentally different economic agenda.
Oshiomhole said the only thing seemingly uniting the opposition coalition was a desire to take power from the ruling party.
“What they have in common is that they are hungry for power,” he declared.
He specifically referenced former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who recently admitted being “hungry” during a public appearance.
“The only person who almost spoke the truth was Amaechi, who said he was hungry, but he did not define the nature of his hunger,” Oshiomhole said sarcastically.
The senator also dismissed concerns that the APC was threatened by the coalition being built around opposition figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and Amaechi.
“You mean APC would be worried about which of the parties now?” he asked.
He argued that the opposition parties were already divided and attacking one another despite attempts at alliance-building.
“I saw Atiku attacking Obi. I saw Obi attacking Amaechi. I saw Amaechi saying Obi is a regional player,” he said.
Oshiomhole, however, excluded former President Goodluck Jonathan from his criticism, describing him as “a complete gentleman” for conceding defeat in the 2015 presidential election.
“That is a gentleman who conceded defeat and said Nigerian blood is not worth his ambition,” he added.
During the interview, Oshiomhole also defended the APC government against accusations that it had failed Nigerians economically since taking office.
The lawmaker insisted that Tinubu was implementing reforms that previous administrations avoided due to political considerations.
He further argued that economic hardship alone should not automatically disqualify the APC from seeking re-election in 2027.
