• Tunji-Ojo, Barau, make case for president’s reelection
The Forum of former lawmakers, and the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, among other eminent Nigerians have backed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for second term.
They made the call yesterday at the 2026 National Summit of former legislators, themed, ‘National Unity and Nation Building: Beyond 2031,’ held in Abuja.
The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo who graced the event, described President Tinubu as a statesman who took bold and difficult decisions to rescue Nigeria from economic collapse, urging Nigerians to protect the future of the country by ensuring continuity of the current administration beyond 2027.
According to the minister, Nigeria’s economic realities before the inauguration of the Tinubu administration in 2023 demanded courageous leadership. He noted that the country spent an estimated $30 billion on fuel and foreign exchange subsidies in 2022 alone, while over 92 per cent of national revenue went into debt servicing.
“What lies ahead of us in 2027 is the future of Nigeria, and it is important that we get that point right,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that Nigeria spent about $20 billion on fuel subsidy and over $10 billion on forex subsidy in 2022, describing the situation as unsustainable and dangerous for the nation’s long-term survival.
The minister noted that President Tinubu, upon assuming office, took the politically risky decision to remove the subsidies—an action previous administrations avoided even in their second terms.
“This President came on board and took very difficult decisions—decisions that other presidents could not take even in their second term. He took them in his first term, without considering the fact that an election was ahead,” Tunji-Ojo stated.
The defining moment for leaders is when they choose between short-term political gains and long-term national legacy.
“The turning point of every nation is when leaders decide whether they will live for politics or live for posterity. He understood that leadership is not just about being president, but about being a statesman,” the minister said.
Tunji-Ojo stressed that the reforms were taken not only for the present generation but for Nigerians yet unborn, urging citizens across the 36 states of the federation to appreciate the sacrifices and support the administration’s continuity.
“That is the risk he has taken, and Nigerians must understand this as we look ahead to 2027 and repay that courage by ensuring continuity of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration,” he added.
The summit was organised by the National Forum of Former Legislators, with the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, serving as convener.
Also speaking at the event, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Jibrin Barau, called on former lawmakers to support President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 to allow him fully implement his reform agenda.
Barau argued that the rotational principle adopted since the return to democracy in 1999 should be respected, noting that it has promoted fairness and political stability.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is in his first term. We should not reinvent the wheel. The rotational system is working, and he should be allowed to complete two full terms,” Barau said.
His call amplified similar calls from the NFFL National Coordinator, Hon. Raphael Nnanna Igbokwe, former Senate Presidents, Speakers, and others, urging support for President Tinubu to complete two full terms in line with the rotation principle that has ensured sanity and equality since the commencement of the Fourth Republic.
“I appeal that we should abide by the principle of rotation, which has brought sanity and equality since the beginning of the Fourth Republic.
“Of course, now the president, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is in his first term, and, as noted by other speakers, let’s not reinvent the wheel.
“We’ve seen that the rotational system is working. We shall allow it to work. And so, as said by the Honourable Tunji Ojo, the president is doing well. He has said a few of the things the President is doing to bring prosperity to our nation. So, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should be allowed to do two full terms,” Barau was quoted in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir.
Responding to requests from the National Coordinator and a former Senate President, Barau pledged to forward the proposal for embedding the rotational system in the Constitution to the National Assembly. “I will certainly do that,” he affirmed.
Highlighting the summit’s theme, the Deputy President of the Senate stressed the need for national unity, mentorship, and continuity in governance.
He assured of the collaboration between the National Assembly and NFFL, noting that “The leadership of the National Assembly remains open to collaboration with NFFL and similar bodies. We recognise that governance does not end with tenure, and that patriotism is a lifelong duty.”
He further commended the NFFL for the timely initiative, emphasising the enduring role of former legislators in Nigeria’s democracy.
“Former legislators occupy a unique and respected place in our national life. You are men and women who have had the privilege and the burden of lawmaking. Your experience, institutional memory, and statesmanship remain invaluable national assets,” he stated.
Senator Barau, who is also the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, urged the former members of parliament to generate ideas for a stronger Nigeria.
“I congratulate NFFL for successfully convening this National Summit. I urge you to use this platform to generate ideas, forge partnerships, and reaffirm your commitment to a stronger, more united, and more prosperous Nigeria,” he said, adding that the summit underscores the vital contributions of former legislators to democratic consolidation and nation-building.
In the communique read at the end of the summit, a vote of confidence was passed on President Tinubu. He was endorsed as the forum’s sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
A former Senator, Yakubu Oseni (Kogi Central), moved the motion for the adoption of the communique, while Senator Florence Ita Giwa (Cross River) seconded it.
