Egoh defends Tinubu’s capacity, says president remains fit to govern

A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Oghene Egoh, has defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s capacity to continue leading Nigeria, dismissing claims that the President is no longer physically or mentally fit to govern.

Egoh, who represented Amuwo-Odofin Federal Constituency in Lagos State, made the remarks yesterday while reacting to comments reportedly made by former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, questioning President Tinubu’s ability to remain in office.

The former lawmaker insisted that the President remains capable of steering the nation’s affairs, describing suggestions to the contrary as baseless. According to him, Tinubu possesses both the physical and mental strength required to discharge the responsibilities of his office despite growing political criticisms from opposition figures.

He also alleged that Obi’s comments were driven by political considerations, claiming that the former Anambra State governor was apprehensive about confronting the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in future elections.

“Obi is afraid of political competition. He knows the ruling party has the structure, experience and capacity to engage in a national contest, and that is why he continues to resort to unfounded criticisms and distractions instead of presenting practical alternatives,” Egoh said.

The former federal legislator maintained that President Tinubu’s administration has continued to implement difficult but necessary reforms aimed at repositioning the Nigerian economy. He argued that while many previous administrations acknowledged the need for such reforms, they lacked the political courage to carry them out because of the potential political consequences.

According to Egoh, key policies introduced by the current administration, including the removal of fuel subsidy, reforms in the foreign exchange market and efforts to strengthen local government autonomy, were long considered necessary for Nigeria’s economic development.

He stated that Tinubu demonstrated uncommon political will by implementing these measures despite the challenges and criticisms that accompanied them.

“The reforms introduced by President Tinubu were not entirely new. Many political actors had agreed over the years that they were necessary, but they lacked the courage to implement them because of the political consequences,” he said.

Egoh further rejected assertions that the President lacks the capacity to govern, arguing that the administration has recorded measurable progress in several sectors of the economy.

He claimed that government policies have boosted investor confidence, improved macroeconomic indicators and enhanced Nigeria’s standing in the global economic environment.

The former lawmaker also pointed to what he described as positive assessments by international financial institutions and global rating agencies, saying they reflected growing confidence in the country’s ongoing economic reforms. He added that Nigeria had witnessed improvements in trade volumes and increased foreign investment inflows since the implementation of the reforms.

While acknowledging that the government’s policies have generated public debate, Egoh urged political leaders and stakeholders to focus on constructive engagement rather than personal attacks.

He stressed that criticisms of government should be based on verifiable facts and policy alternatives capable of advancing national development, rather than questioning the President’s personal capacity without evidence.

Egoh said Nigeria’s democratic process would benefit more from issue-based debates centred on governance, economic growth and national progress than from what he described as politically motivated distractions.