Aisha Yesufu, a prominent activist and co-convener of the BringBackOurGirls movement, has taken to her X page to slam Tinubu for his poor performance, saying he had surpassed his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, in incompetence.
“It took Tinubu just a few months to be worse than Buhari. He truly deserves that Guinness World Record,” she tweeted.
Yesufu’s tweet echoed the sentiments of many Nigerians who have expressed frustration and disappointment with Tinubu’s administration, which came to power in May 2023 in what many consider a very controversial election.
Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State and leader of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), campaigned on a platform of change and promised to tackle the security and economic challenges facing Africa’s most populous nation.
However, since his inauguration, Nigeria has witnessed a surge in violence and instability across its regions, as various armed groups have intensified their attacks on civilians and security forces.
READ ALSO: Terrorists Are The Real Winners of Tinubu’s Rigging — Aisha Yesufu
According to data compiled by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, there were 59,279 fatalities from security-related incidents between May 29, 2015, when Buhari assumed office, and May 18, 2023. This is opposed to 34,066 such fatalities recorded between May 29 and May 28.
The security situation has deteriorated further under Tinubu, who has been accused of failing to provide adequate support and resources to the military and police.
In the first seven months of his presidency, at least 7,222 Nigerians were killed and 3,823 abducted as a result of 2,840 violent incidents.
The main security threats facing Nigeria include the Islamist insurgency of Boko Haram and its splinter faction Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the northeast, the secessionist agitation of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing Eastern Security Network (ESN) in the southeast, the banditry and kidnapping of the Fulani terrorists and other criminal gangs in the northwest and north-central, and the militancy and piracy of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) and other groups in the south-south.
Tinubu has also been criticized for his handling of the economy, which has been battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, low oil prices, and poor governance.
The naira, Nigeria’s currency, has also depreciated significantly against the US dollar, losing more than 40% of its value since Tinubu took office.
According to reports, as of 9:00 AM on Tuesday, January 30, 2024, the exchange rate stood at N1,490.514 for 1 USD as opposed to N460.702 for 1 USD in May 2023, before Tinubu took office.
The depreciation of the naira has fuelled inflation, which has eroded the purchasing power of Nigerians and increased the cost of living.
Tinubu has faced mounting pressure from various stakeholders, including civil society groups, labour unions, opposition parties, and international partners, to address the security and economic challenges facing the country.
Although, Tinubu has made some efforts to respond to the crisis, such as reshuffling his cabinet, appointing new service chiefs, removal of subsidy, launching a new economic recovery plan, and seeking external loans and grants.
However, these measures have been seen as inadequate and ineffective by many Nigerians, who have continued to express their dissatisfaction and disillusionment with his leadership.