Phrank Shaibu, Special Assistant on Public Communication to former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Bola Tinubu to revisit what he described as the “era of fake life,” highlighting the dire economic realities facing Nigerians.
Shaibu’s remarks followed Tinubu’s statement at the combined 34th and 35th convocation ceremonies of the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) in Ondo State. Tinubu, represented by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Wahab Egbewole, defended his administration’s economic policies, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of exchange rates, describing them as necessary to save Nigeria from economic collapse.
The president justified these reforms, asserting that the “good life” Nigerians believed they were living before his tenure was unsustainable and would have led to disaster. Tinubu had previously announced the end of the petrol subsidy during his inauguration on May 29, 2023, framing it as a critical move to secure the nation’s future.
In response, Shaibu criticized Tinubu’s perspective, taking to social media to voice his concerns. “If the good life before subsidy removal was fake, then this ‘real’ life must be the plot of a very bad Nollywood drama written by Mr. T-Pain,” he posted on X.
He argued that the hardships Nigerians are currently enduring undermine the president’s narrative of progress, adding, “Can we at least get a refund on the script or take us back to living in the ‘fake’ world? At least we could afford to fake smiles back then. Now we’re stuck frowning in this ‘authentic’ struggle where our pockets are on life support.”
Shaibu’s critique underscores the growing public discontent over rising living costs and the impact of Tinubu’s economic reforms, which have been a contentious subject of national debate.
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