ABUJA, Nigeria — Arise Television co-anchor Rufai Oseni delivered a sharp rebuke of President Bola Tinubu on Monday’s edition of The Morning Show, criticising the president for blaming the opposition for hunger and economic hardship in the country.
The comments came in response to remarks by Tinubu, who accused the opposition of creating hunger while campaigning. On-screen graphics during the broadcast carried the headline “Tinubu Slams Opposition for Creating Hunger.”
Oseni argued that the president’s position was untenable after more than a decade of All Progressives Congress (APC) governance, including four years under Tinubu himself.
“President Tinubu blaming the opposition after 12 years of APC and 4 years of his continuous governance stands in stark and embarrassing contrast to what President John F. Kennedy said in his first State of the Union speech only months after assuming the office of the Presidency of the USA,” Oseni said.
He noted that Kennedy, only four months into office, had declared it was too early to claim credit for the state of the economy and too late to blame the previous administration.
“That is statesmanship, that is taking responsibility!” Oseni continued. “Only 4 months in Office and President Kennedy was assuming full responsibility for the state of the country in complete contrast to President Tinubu’s blaming opposition for the State of the economy 12 years after the combined governance of his Party the APC and himself still in the saddle! That is not good enough.”
A clip of Oseni’s comments quickly circulated on social media, with users describing the broadcaster as having “ripped” the president apart in unusually direct language.
Oseni has frequently used his platform on The Morning Show to scrutinise government policies and political rhetoric ahead of the 2027 general elections. His latest remarks add to ongoing public debate over responsibility for Nigeria’s economic challenges, including rising living costs and food insecurity.
Neither the Presidency nor the APC campaign council had issued an immediate response to Oseni’s comments at the time of reporting.
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