By Danlami Nmodu
UPDATED: President Bola Tinubu appears to have made a significant concession to Nigeria’s state Governors during their visit to him in Lagos.This was gleaned from the press release which provided details Wednesday of what the President told visiting Governors.
In the statement Tinubu assured the governors that nobody wants to take the local governments away from them.
News Diary Online reports that President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday in Lagos, emphasised the critical role of state governors in driving Nigeria’s development and prosperity, saying their leadership at the subnational level is central to achieving food security, economic prosperity and rapid national growth.
This was revealed in a press release signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy).
Onanuga said during a New Year homage by Vice President Kashim Shettima and members of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) at his Ikoyi residence, the President expressed his gratitude for their support and collaboration while highlighting key areas requiring joint effort for the nation’s progress.
“You are the most important link to Nigeria’s prosperity and development. The Federal Government accounts for about 30 to 35 per cent of the allocated revenue; the rest comes to you. The agricultural value chain depends on you. You own the land, and the job is in your hands,” he said.
President Tinubu called for stronger collaboration between the federal and state governments to address pressing challenges, including local government autonomy, agricultural productivity, and currency stability.
Expressing his commitment to local government development and autonomy, the President stressed its importance for grassroots development and dispelled rumours of disagreement with the governors.
“We will not fight within us. I will drive the change. You control your local governments. You can restore hope by effectively fulfilling what the people expect at the grassroots level.
“There were gossips that we had disagreements on local government autonomy. No. Just drive development at the local government. Nobody wants to take them away from you, but we need collaboration. Let’s do it together and ensure Nigeria is better off for it.”
President Tinubu urged governors to prioritise agricultural growth as a pathway to economic stability.
“We have to work harder, grow more, and ensure the situation of our currency improves. Nigeria will see prosperity, but it requires consistent effort from all of us,” he said.
He also urged the governors to take pride in their efforts and acknowledged their progress across the states.:
“There is no state we cannot visit and be proud of its development. We have better allocations now. Let me take the abuse; you take the privileges. Together, we will build a nation we are all proud of,” he said.
Reflecting on his leadership journey in the last 19 months, the President expressed confidence in Nigeria’s capacity to thrive given the resilience and leadership demonstrated by the administration.
“I am glad I asked for this job, and Nigerians gave me the mandate. We’ll be on this voyage together. I thank all of you for where we are today and where we are heading,” he said.
The President announced that he will be visiting Enugu State on January 4 as part of his planned visits to some states of the federation.
President Tinubu welcomed his declaration by ThisDAY newspaper as Man Of The Year.
He commended the newspaper for recognising “what they considered a failure initially, but is now a success.”
Abdulrahman Abdulrazak, chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and Governor of Kwara State, described ThisDay’s decision to name President Tinubu Man of the Year as a significant endorsement of the administration’s policies.
He noted that the acknowledgement from a media outlet known for critical media coverage during the campaign reflects the tangible progress made under President Tinubu’s leadership.
“The policies are working. In agriculture, I was in Jigawa. The complaint in Jigawa was that there was a bumper harvest, but because of the strength of our currency, traders exported the harvest.
“So, most of us are encouraging ourselves to buy bumper stocks into our silos, store them for the rainy day. So, in terms of agriculture, the policy is working. We’ll continue to deepen that and ensure we are 100% sustained in food security and feed the whole of West Africa,” he said.
The governor urged the President to visit various states to see the ongoing transformations and progress firsthand.
He assured the President of the steadfast support of the governors, particularly in contributing to local security architecture to further enhance the nation’s security.
“I must confess that I have not done two years in this administration, but I’ve done more projects in two years than in the four years of my first term”, Governor Abdulrazaq said.
“We are getting more funding due to the restructuring of the economy. Yes, there is inflation, but we are overriding it,” the governor said.
News Diary Online reports that there had been hints that governors were not happy with the autonomy which the supreme Court restored to local governments at the behest of President Tinubu government; as it would deny them access to funds.Some local council officials claim the autonomy has not fully been activated.
The concession to Governors may be an indication that President Tinubu has recognised their influence as he inches towards 2027 reelection battles.
News Diary Online reports that the move further indicates that Tinubu may indeed be thinking of rejigging his relection alliances with governors forming an important part going forward.
Tinubu’s key campaign ally, former Governor Nasir El-Rufai has long been left out of the new government after his staunch support, hence the need for realignment.
How the shape of this new romance with the governors will shape up, remains to be seen.
