Atiku‘s Aide Alleges Tinubu Quieting Critics Through Appointments
Phrank Shaibu, special assistant to Atiku Abubakar, has claimed that President Bola Tinubu is offering appointments to his critics in order to silence them. The statement came in response to Tinubu appointing Taiwo Oyedele, a fiscal policy partner and Africa tax leader at PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), as the chair of a presidential committee on fiscal policy and tax reforms.
According to Shaibu, the appointment of Oyedele was a strategic move by the president to prevent him from commenting on the failures of the federal government. He further asserted that former President Muhammadu Buhari had employed a similar tactic, appointing individuals without genuinely considering their counsel.
“It is widely known that Mr. Oyedele has been vocal about tax reforms,” Shaibu stated. “Last Saturday, he highlighted some of the flawed tax policies of the APC government. In an attempt to silence him, he was appointed as the chairman of a tax reform committee yesterday (Friday), but no other members were announced. Perhaps, they want him to work alone.”
Shaibu cautioned Oyedele against being deceived by this appointment, emphasizing that Tinubu’s economic strategy involved generating tax revenue through firms associated with him, as he had done in Lagos.
“In 2019, President Buhari similarly appointed Doyin Salami, Chukwuma Soludo, and Bismark Rewane to his economic advisory team, but he never heeded their advice,” Shaibu continued. “As a result, Nigeria experienced one of its worst economic crises ever, with an unprecedented debt profile, widespread poverty, and soaring unemployment rates.”
In light of these claims, Shaibu urged Oyedele not to compromise his integrity and allow himself to be manipulated.
