Dr. Doyin Okupe, a former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan, has predicted a tough year ahead for Nigeria and Nigerians in 2022.
Okupe, who has declared he would be running for president in 2023, stated this while reflecting on the meaning of ‘Happy New Year’, a common greeting used globally to usher in a fresh year.
In a Facebook post titled, ‘Happy New Year’, the doctor-cum-politician wrote, “I believe the true meaning of the above common expression is that: We are Happy We are witnessing the advent of yet another New Year!
“The reality however is that there may not be too many Happy things for Nigerians in this new year 2022.
“The President has spoken through his new Year message.
“Various leaders including Presidential Aspirants have also spoken and felicitated with platitudes and all.
“But like late Tai Solarin said, I also say, this year may be quite rough for Nigeria and Nigerians in 2022.”
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Okupe identified seven of the challenges Nigerians could face as, “insurgency and general insecurity, banditry and kidnapping, consequences of fuel subsidy and its planned and due removal, increasing and uncontrolled hike in food prices”.
Others, he said, include “youth unemployment and its attendant restiveness, continuous widening of the base of poverty in the country and potential dangers inherent in the commencement of electioneering process in the presence of unprecedented hostilities amongst nationalities in the country”.
He expressed doubt that any single individual could provide solutions to all the challenges.
“Definitely we will need a committed and knowledgeable leadership that can put together a National coalition that can tackle the above problematic issues.
I strongly believe I can provide such leadership.
“My name is DOYIN OKUPE. I am running for President,” Okupe further wrote.