Sen Adams Oshiomhole openly criticised the policy direction of President Bola Tinubu during the screening of Yemi Cardoso as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
Oshiomhole, a close ally of President Tinubu, said he was uncomfortable with the nomination.
“When the West celebrates our free market, no control, and so on, I am always suspicious,” the Edo North lawmaker said.
“The challenge we deal with now is everybody seems to have submitted completely to the so-called market forces and rely on the invisible eyes of Adams Smith to regulate and determine.”
Coincidentally, Mr Cardoso founded the Citizen International Bank alongside some of his friends.
The bank made a merger with seven other banks to form Spring Bank, which later collapsed.
In 2005, the management of the bank was sanctioned by the CBN for unethical dealings, while it also announced the launch of an investigation into the bank.
“I am suspicious of people, whose main background comes from commercial banking because central banking is about policy. It is not about marketing, it is not about making a profit. It is about getting monetary policy right. With a clear focus on specific macroeconomic objectives.
“Listening to the CV, when you have people that have managed banks that have gone into liquidation, that cannot be used as positive in their favours,” Oshiomhole said.
Oshiomhole’s criticism of Tinubu’s ideological leaning is not in isolation; there is an ongoing fight among APC supporters.
Recently, several supporters of former President Muhammadu Buhari have been very vocal against the direction of the government, while pro-Tinubu groups have equally been very vocal in espousing their stance.
Buhari seems to be more of a “welfarist” while Tinubu since his inauguration has been doing everything to appease the Western establishment and the Bretton Wood institutions.
The decision to remove the petroleum subsidy and float the Naira has earned applause from the global financial community but Buharists have been very vocal against the government.
The APC online support group
On X (formerly known as Twitter), the APC support groups could be divided into four— Buharists, BATists, the PYO supporters and non-affiliates.
Over time, they were lumped together as one single group. Some called them Buharists or BMC. However, during the presidential primary election of the APC, the division within the group emerged clearly. The pro-Osinbajo group were the first to pull out.
During the election, some pro-PYO groups even supported other candidates in the race. But the biggest fight ongoing right now is the fight between BATists and Buharists on Twitter.
Popular Buharists like Kayode Ogundamisi, Iyabo Awokoya, and few others have been somehow neutral in the ongoing fight. But some Northern Buharists like Abdulaziz Muazu, Mr Explainer—Gaskiya Tafi Kobo, Arewa Daddy and others are at daggers-drawn in defending the legacy of former President Buhari.
The Buharists have opposed subsidy removal, floating of the Naira, detention of former CBN Governor Emefiele, concentration of economic team in Southwest, detention of former EFCC boss, Rasheed Bawa and the policy direction of this administration.
“You see this ‘friendly-fire’ among progressive camps may not end anytime soon. No amount of bullying, intimidation or threats either online or offline could stop it. You cannot stop people from asking questions and criticising unfriendly approaches to governance,” Dr Musa Bayero posted on X.
On the side of BATists, Dr Toks, Jibril Gawat, an aide to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Legendary Joe, an aide to Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and others are leading the front in defending the current administration.
“I am more than enough to handle you latter-day saints also known as Elite Buharists here. I am not amongst those you spoon-feed or bully to silence. If you continue with your hypocrisy, 4 years will be rough and tough for you on this X app. The only option you have is peace,” Toks wrote.
Also, several popular figures on X, who somehow got disillusioned with Buhari during his administration have been openly supportive of Tinubu. They include the likes of Omojuwa, Ogbeni Dipo, Iyin and others.
For observers on X, the ongoing fight within the APC supporters could provide a new set of opposition.
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