Veteran Nollywood actor Jide Kosoko has defended President Bola Tinubu’s administration, arguing that the government is making efforts to address Nigeria’s challenges and that the situation is not as bad as some Nigerians portray it.
The actor made the remarks during an appearance on Talk To B, a podcast hosted by actress Biola Adebayo, where he urged Nigerians to consider the state of the country before Tinubu assumed office and pay attention to initiatives introduced by the government.
Kosoko maintained that the administration should not be judged solely by the criticisms directed at it, insisting that Nigerians needed to examine the circumstances that preceded Tinubu’s presidency.
He questioned the living conditions of citizens before the president took office, arguing that the country’s present situation should be considered alongside the challenges that existed before the change of administration.
“Things are not as bad as some people have claimed and they need to understand. Go and check the majority of those people. Before Tinubu came, what were they eating?” the actor said.
During the discussion, Kosoko was asked what evidence ordinary Nigerians could point to in support of claims that Tinubu was fixing the country.
In response, the veteran actor highlighted some of the administration’s initiatives, including its student loan scheme, as evidence of efforts to address specific challenges facing citizens.
He urged beneficiaries of the programme to speak about their experiences and explain how the initiative had helped them, suggesting that their accounts could provide a clearer picture of its impact.
His comments placed emphasis on the need to assess government policies by considering the experiences of the people they are designed to support.
Kosoko also referred to the government’s promise to support graduates who could not secure employment immediately after completing their studies. He argued that such initiatives deserved greater public attention, presenting them as part of the administration’s efforts to respond to challenges affecting young Nigerians.
The actor’s remarks come amid continuing public debate over the performance of Tinubu’s government and whether its policies are improving the living conditions of Nigerians.
The discussion also touched on the influence of political interests on how Nigerians assess the government. Kosoko argued that partisan considerations sometimes prevent people from acknowledging what they perceive as progress under an administration, suggesting that political ambitions can shape public criticism.
He specifically accused opposition figures of allowing their political interests to influence their assessment of Tinubu’s leadership, insisting that some of them were aware of the administration’s efforts but were unwilling to acknowledge them publicly.
“Those in the opposition know the truth. They know that the man is on the right track, but ambition is affecting their thinking,” Kosoko said.
The veteran actor further disclosed that he had been involved in politics since 1978, citing his long experience in the political space as he shared his views on the relationship between political interests and public perception.
