The National Chairman of the Abia State Elders Consultative Forum, Archbishop Professor Princewill Ariwodor, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resign if he cannot address Nigeria’s worsening economic crisis.
In an interview with Vanguard, the Archbishop emphasized that the President should not have taken on the leadership role without a clear plan to resolve the country’s economic issues.
Speaking in the wake of nationwide protests against hunger and poor governance, Archbishop Ariwodor criticized the current administration’s policies, which he described as harmful to the people.
“Tinubu should resign if he is unable to fix the economy. The Nigerian economy was far better before he took over. Buhari handed over to him a better economy which he has now destroyed,” Ariwodor stated.
He expressed concern over the government’s attempts to suppress peaceful protests, labeling such actions as undemocratic.
“Nigerians are hungry and have the constitutional right to express their grievances through peaceful protest. The people are not violent, so why will you apply force against peaceful protesters?” he questioned.
Archbishop Ariwodor also warned against any plans to arrest Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, for his criticism of the Tinubu administration.
“Obi should not be persecuted for constructively criticizing the poor management of the economy. Abia elders solidly stand behind Obi. If anybody attempts to arrest him, we will all march to Abuja, and they should get ready to slaughter all of us there,” he declared.
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The Archbishop urged the government to listen to public opinion and warned against silencing dissenting voices.
“Government should listen to public opinions. Pressure groups, provided they are not violent, make governments sit up,” he said.
Criticizing those who advocate for halting the protests, he accused them of misleading the President for personal gains.
“We want to dissociate ourselves from the advice of Igbo leaders who found themselves in positions of authority and do not see the level of suffering of the Nigerian masses as a result of bad governance. Why will you want people to keep quiet and remain in the house when a cup of beans is N600 and two cups of garri N500?” he asked.
Despite his strong criticism, Archbishop Ariwodor advised protesters to remain peaceful and express their grievances within the law.
“Protesters should not go violent but express their grievances within the ambit of the law,” he concluded.