Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Labour Party governorship flag-bearer in Lagos State in 2023, has said that the ongoing reforms of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration in only beneficial to those close to the corridor of power.

His remarks followed Tinubu's message to Nigerians during the New Year broadcast, during which he urged the citizens to continue to persevere amid the challenging economic climate.

Recall that the President embarked on a raft of reforms, including petrol subsidy removal and naira floatation aimed at retooling the nation's economic fundamentals.

However, the reforms have brought severe hardship to the citizens, leading to a nationwide outcry for reversal and adjustment to some of the decisions.

Addressing the nation on Wednesday, January 1, 2025, Tinubu said better days lie ahead for Nigerians as he announced programmes designed to ease the masses' sufferings.

Rhodes-Vivour faults Tinubu's reforms

But Rhodes-Vivour claimed that the majority of Nigerians are paying the price of the reforms while the President's friends and government officials continue to feed fat.

“The people are experiencing unprecedented hardship. Today, over 70 per cent of people’s income is spent on transportation and food. They’ve not even started to think about how they can afford accommodation,” he said on Thursday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.

“We have a situation where there is a culture of wastefulness, and extravagance that does not reflect the dire economic situation that the same President is pushing out that needs to be reformed.

“The only people that seem to be benefitting from these reforms are maybe the bankers, the people in government, and the President’s friends. How many Nigerians can say they are benefitting from any reform any reform right now?”