Former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has asserted that many individuals who labeled former President Goodluck Jonathan as "clueless" during his tenure are now occupying influential positions in government. Oritsejafor made these comments on Monday night, June 22, during an appearance on Channels Television's Politics Today program.
Oritsejafor Defends Jonathan Against Criticism
Responding to criticisms of Jonathan's administration, particularly claims of rampant insecurity and corruption, Oritsejafor questioned the credibility of his detractors. "Where are those people now? Are they not the same people today who are in power?" he asked. "People who called him clueless, but they wouldn't allow him to do the things he needed to do. They protested against him all over the place in Lagos especially, and across the country."
The cleric noted that many of those who sponsored and supported protests against Jonathan are now key government officials. "Now, the people who sponsored all those protests, who did a lot of all those things, many of them are the people in power today. So, now they have the clue, but look at where Nigeria is now," Oritsejafor said.
When asked if he regretted supporting Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election, Oritsejafor replied, "No, I don't."
Critique of Tinubu Administration
Oritsejafor also addressed the performance of President Bola Tinubu's administration, expressing deep concern over the country's trajectory. He advised Tinubu against seeking a second term, stating that the current government has exacerbated Nigeria's problems. "The government of Tinubu has done more harm to this nation than this nation has ever experienced," he declared.
While stopping short of calling for Tinubu's resignation, Oritsejafor urged the president to honestly evaluate his ability to address the nation's challenges. "I would not sit here categorically and tell him resign. But I think what I would say to him is, look, don't pretend to know what to do when you don't know what to do. Don't pretend that you can take Nigeria out of where it is now, when you know you can't," he stated.
Loss of Hope Under Renewed Hope
The cleric criticized the administration's "Renewed Hope" slogan, arguing that economic hardship and insecurity have eroded public confidence. "The average Nigerian today has no hope, except if you say you look up to God to give you hope," Oritsejafor said. He concluded by urging Tinubu not to pursue another term, adding, "Don't begin to dream of coming back to continue this same mess."
