Elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, has declared that Nigeria is in a far better state today than it was before independence.
He stressed that the country has made what he described as “tremendous progress” over the years.
Speaking on Wednesday, during an interview on Arise Television’s The Morning Show, the 99-year-old politician said his conviction was shaped by Nigeria’s growth since colonial times and the reform efforts of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
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“In my opinion, so far so good, I believe that by and large, people will agree with me that he has achieved quite a lot with the period that he has been controlling the country,” Yakasai said.
Responding to why many Nigerians still romanticize the past, he argued that only those who lived under colonial rule could truly understand how far the nation had come.
According to him, “The Nigeria of today is far better than the Nigeria of the pre-independence era.
“If anybody says we have not done well, maybe he has not known what was happening before or now.”
He emphasized that self-rule remains a remarkable achievement, noting that unlike in the colonial period, all positions of authority are now held by Nigerians.
Yakasai added that despite imperfections, Nigeria’s electoral system has ensured accountability and leadership renewal.
“We have been having election after election. Parties who performed … are now performing better. Those who are not prepared were replaced because they are not performing.
“So I think we are making progress tremendously,” he stated.
