Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, has urged Nigerians to support President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies rather than subject his administration to harsh criticism over the country’s economic challenges.

Oyintiloye, a former member of the Osun State House of Assembly, made the appeal while speaking with journalists in Osogbo on Sunday, acknowledging the hardship faced by Nigerians but insisting that the president should be given more time to address the situation.

He identified the removal of petrol subsidy and the floating of the naira as major reforms introduced by Tinubu to stabilise the economy.

According to him, although the policies have placed considerable pressure on households and businesses, they were necessary steps towards addressing the country’s economic difficulties and have begun to produce positive results.

“What the President needs at this point is our encouragement, not harsh criticism or name-calling,” Oyintiloye said.

He argued that Tinubu inherited an economy already facing serious difficulties and could not be expected to resolve all the country’s problems at once.

The APC chieftain also urged opposition politicians seeking to challenge Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election to reconsider their approach to the economic hardship.

He accused some opposition figures of using the difficulties faced by Nigerians to undermine the president’s re-election ambition, arguing that political criticism should take account of the administration’s efforts to address the economic situation.

Oyintiloye further questioned whether opposition figures seeking the presidency had demonstrated, through their records in previous public offices, that they could manage the country’s challenges more effectively than the incumbent.

He maintained that it would be unwise to turn the economic difficulties into a political weapon against Tinubu while his administration was still implementing its reform programme.

Despite defending the president’s policies, Oyintiloye acknowledged that many Nigerians continued to experience severe economic hardship and called on the administration to intensify efforts to ease their burden.

He urged Tinubu to review social intervention programmes designed to support vulnerable citizens and strengthen other economic measures aimed at reducing the pressure on households.

The former lawmaker also expressed confidence in Tinubu’s prospects in the 2027 presidential election, citing what he described as the administration’s achievements across different sectors.

He called on Nigerians to continue supporting the president while urging the Federal Government to sustain efforts to improve the economy and provide relief for citizens struggling with the cost of living.