Archbishop Princewill Ariwodor, the World President of the International College and Council of Bishops and Apostles (ICCOBA), has urged President Bola Tinubu to resign if he cannot address Nigeria’s worsening economic situation.
Speaking with Vanguard amidst nationwide protests against hunger and poor governance, Archbishop Ariwodor expressed deep concern over the state of the nation’s economy.
“We have never experienced this level of decay in the economic management of this country. Other leaders were in one way or the other better than the current government. Tinubu should resign if he is unable to fix the economy. The Nigeria economy was far better before he took over. Buhari handed over to him a better economy which he has now destroyed,” Ariwodor stated.
The archbishop also criticized the government’s attempts to intimidate peaceful protesters, describing such actions as a threat to democracy. He emphasized that Nigerians have the constitutional right to express their grievances through peaceful protests. “Nigerians are hungry and have the constitutional right to express their grievances through peaceful protest. The people are not violent, so why will you apply force against peaceful protesters? Why will you flog people and ask them not to cry? You are flogging the nation and shouldn’t ask the people not to cry,” he said.
Ariwodor warned against any attempt to arrest Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, for his criticisms of the Tinubu administration’s economic policies. He declared his support for Obi and other critics of the government, stating, “Abia elders solidly stand behind Obi. And if anybody attempts to arrest him, we will all march to Abuja, and they should get ready to slaughter all of us there. If anybody touches him for speaking the truth, the person should be ready to kill all of us.”
The cleric also criticized those advising against the nationwide protests, accusing them of misleading the President for personal gain. “We want to dissociate ourselves from the advice of Igbo leaders who found themselves in positions of authority and do not see the level of suffering of the Nigerian masses as a result of bad governance. Why will you want people to keep quiet and remain in the house when a cup of beans is N600 and two cups of garri N500?” he questioned.
Despite his criticisms, Archbishop Ariwodor urged protesters to remain non-violent and to express their grievances within the law. The ongoing protests, tagged ‘10 days of rage’ with the hashtag #EndBadGovernance, have seen significant participation across the country, reflecting widespread frustration with the current administration’s handling of economic issues.
