Tinubu performing well across key sectors, says Gowon
Former military head of state, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, yesterday returned a verdict of good performance on President Bola Tinubu. Gowon, who ruled between 1966 and 1975, said Tinubu has done
- ‘President doing his best to tackle security challenges’
- APC hits ADC over poverty report, defends Tinubu's reforms
Former military head of state, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, yesterday returned a verdict of good performance on President Bola Tinubu.
Gowon, who ruled between 1966 and 1975, said Tinubu has done very well across key sectors of governance.
He paid a courtesy visit to Tinubu following which he spoke to State House reporters.
“I came to see him and to thank him for all the good works that he’s doing for the country,” Gowon said.
He added: “We have to look at all the good work that the President is doing and the progress that Nigeria is making economically and otherwise.”
Nigeria, according to him, is witnessing progress under Tinubu’s leadership. He expressed satisfaction with the direction of governance.
When asked by journalists what areas the President should improve upon as his administration progresses, Gowon declined to single out any particular sector.
He said as far as he was concerned, the President Tinubu appeared to be addressing national challenges across board.
“Isn’t he doing the best he can all round?” he asked rhetorically.
“So there is no particular place; every other area — political, economic, social, etc.”
Gowon acknowledged the complexity of Nigeria’s security challenges, but said the President was taking necessary steps to confront the situation in the interest of the country.
“And, of course, the major problem that we have today, the security area, he’s doing everything to deal with those for the good of all Nigeria,” he said.
According to him, leadership requires balancing multiple priorities simultaneously, and the President must continue to safeguard Nigeria’s interests across all sectors.
“He’s got to look after the interests of Nigeria in all areas, and I’m happy about that,” Gowon added.
The elder statesman, widely regarded as a voice of national reconciliation and peace, was also asked about the message he would give Nigerians amid the current challenges facing the country.
He said the responsibility of addressing such issues ultimately rests with the government, expressing confidence that the administration is handling the situation as best possible.
“If I say that the problem that is happening today, it is only the government today, that’s Mr. President that can really deal with it, and he is dealing with it the best he can without creating any problem for Nigerians and for the country,” he said.
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He expressed optimism that the efforts of the government would eventually yield the peace and stability the nation seeks.
“The government is handling it the best it can to ensure that Nigeria, in the end, achieves the peace that it deserves, that it requires and it deserves,” Gowon said.
The visit by the former Head of State comes amid ongoing consultations and engagements between President Tinubu and prominent national leaders on governance, security and national development.
'Mischievously misleading': APC fires back at ADC over 63% poverty rate report, defends Tinubu's reforms
Also yesterday, the President's party – All Progressives Congress (APC) - fired back at the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), for claiming that Nigeria's poverty rate had surged to 63 per cent.
The APC accused the opposition party of mischievously misleading Nigerians with its claim.
National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, in a statement in Abuja, dismissed ADC's criticisms as a display of shocking ignorance of President Bola Tinubu's ongoing economic reforms.
The ADC based its conclusion on an Agora Policy dialogue report, which said Nigeria's poverty rate increased from 49 per cent to 63 per cent.
The APC countered that the very same report acknowledged the absolute necessity of Tinubu's reforms to correct crippling, age-long structural distortions in the Nigerian economy.
Morka defended the administration's May 2023 decisions to scrap the fuel subsidy and harmonise foreign exchange rates.
He described the previous systems as an existential threat and a gaping fiscal hole that fueled corruption and border smuggling while draining up to 90 per cent of total national revenue.
Acknowledging the transient hardship experienced by citizens, Morka stated that economic reform is never cost-free, emphasising that these bold policy shifts ultimately unshackled Nigeria from economic stagnation.
The APC further lambasted the ADC for operating without a clear manifesto or alternative policy prescriptions. Morka accused the opposition leaders of power mongering and shooting the breeze, asserting that Nigerians are too smart to be swayed by empty attacks from a party that offers no tangible solutions.
To underscore the success of the administration's tough fiscal choices, the APC released a raft of macroeconomic data indicating a steady rebound.
According to the ruling party, the economy grew by 4.4 per cent last year and is projected to expand by 5.5 per cent in the current fiscal year. Furthermore, foreign reserves have hit their highest level in nearly two decades, crossing the $50 billion mark.
Morka further noted that headline inflation is trending downward toward single digits, with food inflation currently sitting at a 13-year low while highlighting that non-oil exports eclipsed $6 billion in 2025, and unprecedented high-level revenue allocations are now reaching sub-national and local governments to drive grassroots development.
To cushion the fading economic shocks, the APC pointed to its ongoing rollout of social protection measures which include cash transfers, student loan facilities, and the deployment of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiatives aimed at strengthening household resilience, assuring Nigerians that the Tinubu administration remains resolute in its drive to rebuild the economy for both present and future generations.
