Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to the president, says President Bola Tinubu’s ongoing economic reforms show he is prioritising Nigeria’s future rather than political calculations for the 2027 elections.
Speaking on Saturday at the Southern Summit of the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL) in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Gbajabiamila said Tinubu could have pursued “populist policies” to gain quick political favour but chose otherwise.
“Today, the federal government is no longer paying inflated subsidy claims enjoyed by the few privileged minority of our citizens; every Nigerian child is guaranteed a tertiary education courtesy of Nigerian Education Loan Funds,” Gbajabiamila said.
“With the signing into law of the tax laws reform, President Tinubu has ushered in a new era of economic justice built on fairness, accountability, and national growth.
“These are actions of a politician thinking about the next generation, rather than the actions of a politician thinking about the next election.
“They are acts of extraordinary statesmanship of a leader whose highest concern is the fortune of the Nigerian people and the next generations.”
He added that Tinubu took the politically risky path of implementing reforms from the onset of his administration, despite their painful consequences.
“Let me put it in another way so that it sinks home: President Tinubu has chosen to be a leader rather than a politician; a politician thinks about the next election, but a leader thinks about the next generation.
“If the president had decided or opted to be a politician, the reforms you see now, which come naturally with consequences, would only start in the second term.
“But because of the conviction he has and because he knew the job to do, not for himself, not for the purpose of the next election, but for the purpose of the next generation, he decided to start the reforms from day one, risking everything.”
Since assuming office in May 2023, Tinubu has implemented major economic measures, including the unification of Nigeria’s multiple foreign exchange (FX) windows and the removal of petrol subsidy, which he described as unsustainable.
In August, however, Gbajabiamila had urged Nigerians to re-elect Tinubu to enable him “finish” his reforms and projects.
