2027 polls: Group launches ‘Tinubu Must Stay’ initiative, lauds reforms

As campaigns for 2027 general election begins to build momentum, a pro-government advocacy group, Tinubu Must Stay (TMS), has launched a national narrative and communications initiative to drum up support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.

The group urged Nigerians to support the current administration, citing his achievements in different sectors including economic reform and students loans.

Addressing reporters at the group’s inaugural press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the movement’s National Convener, Ibrahim Uba, said citizens committed to promoting the administration’s record through facts, data, and active civic engagement formed the initiative.
Uba acknowledged that the bold policy changes introduced by the President since assuming office on May 29, 2023—particularly the removal of the petrol subsidy and foreign-exchange reforms—have imposed severe economic burdens on households nationwide.

He argued, however, that abandoning these reforms midway would invalidate citizens’ sacrifices and derail long-term national development.

“When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, Nigeria confronted serious fiscal, monetary, security and social pressures. His administration responded with major policy changes, including removing the petrol subsidy and implementing foreign-exchange reforms. Those measures have imposed substantial costs on households, with Nigerians experiencing higher living, transportation and energy costs,” Uba admitted.

The challenges should neither be ignored nor understated. At the same time, public discussion should examine the administration’s full record—including measurable outcomes, unresolved problems and the longer-term objectives of its reforms.”

He explained that TMS rests on three primary operational pillars: fact-based counter-narratives, evidence-driven alternative narratives on government programmes, and civic engagement.

Highlighting key economic metrics, Uba noted that Nigeria’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rose to 4.43 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, compared to 4.23 per cent in Q2 2025 and 3.89 per cent in Q1 2026. He added that headline inflation moderated slightly to 15.39 per cent in August 2026, down from 15.43 per cent in July.

“TMS recognises that statistics do not erase hardship and that government programmes should be assessed not merely by announcements or expenditure, but by their actual impact on citizens,” Uba noted.

“Our purpose is not to deny Nigeria’s difficulties. It is to ensure that public debate about those difficulties also recognises many documented positive interventions and allows competing claims to be tested against evidence.”

Reviewing human capital and social interventions, the National Convener cited reports showing that over 1.5 million students have benefited from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), with over ₦282 billion disbursed.

He also highlighted the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, which has trained over 160,000 fellows across three cohorts; the National Health Fellows Programme, deployed across all 774 local government areas; and the NG-CARES initiative, which has reached over 15 million vulnerable Nigerians.

On infrastructure, transport, and energy, Uba referenced ongoing projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, and the delivery of more than 10,000 housing units under the Renewed Hope Housing Programme.

He emphasised progress in cleaner transport, with over 120,000 vehicles converted to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), supported by 400 certified conversion centres and 90 refuelling stations.

“Security remains one of Nigeria’s most consequential challenges,” he said. “Operations against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, oil theft and other violent crimes have been intensified, leading to significant improvement across the country. Progress in this sector must ultimately be judged by measurable improvements in the safety of communities, highways, farms and businesses.”

Uba then called on citizens to scrutinise policies critically while recognising verified milestones, maintaining that sustaining the administration beyond 2027 remains vital for consolidation.

“As Nigeria marks 66 years of Independence, TMS holds the view that reforms initiated over the past three years require continuity and further implementation to deliver their intended long-term outcomes. That is the case we intend to make for Nigerians—peacefully, factually and democratically,” he declared