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Nigerians have been urged to exercise patience with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu amidst the economic hardship caused by his policies.
Recall that President Tinubu declared the removal of subsidy at his inauguration and weeks later approved the floating of the Naira currency.
Nigerians have criticised this decision, attributing it to Nigeria's current economic condition.
Senator Shehu Sani from Kaduna State responded to these criticisms by suggesting that judging President Tinubu's administration is premature.
In an exclusive interview with Pulse, he characterised Tinubu as distinct from other presidents and highlighted that Nigerians are suffering from the errors of the Muhammadu Buhari government.
He further stated that Tinubu "knows what to do with power, Buhari doesn't know what to do with power."
The ex-lawmaker said, "So change comes with a price, change comes with hardship, change comes with suffering. Two main decisions he has taken economically, which is to float the Naira and also withdrawal of subsidy. These are all big gambles because they lead to inflation and hunger in the land and these problems which we are faced with.
"So if at the end of the day we pass that phase where by prices of commodities come down and Naira regain its value and the petroleum industry can be run without subsidy, then he has won. But if the hardship continues that it gets, then there will be a serious backlash to him. So it is too early to say that he has failed; it is too early to say he has succeeded."
Senator Sani reiterated that the moves made by Tinubu were the right thing any committed President would do in his first term in office.
He stated that the mistake of the previous administration was its inability to prioritise economic reforms.
"He (Tinubu) has committed himself to taking courageous action that will free Nigeria from the bondage and the shackles that have kept it down for a very long time.
"There should be a way to address that problem because if the hardship and suffering continue, the masses will go to the streets to bring down the government. So, I believe there should be more emphasis now, and there is no better time to unfold economic reforms than the first year of the first state of power. That was the greatest mistake of the Buhari administration.
"Buhari failed to implement economic reforms at the time he had the popularity, the goodwill and the support of Nigerians to do that. Buhari has removed subsidy in 2015 and has allowed Naira to float. Now we have been reaping the dividends of it," Senator Sani said.