From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Director-General of the Tinubu Support Group (TSG), Tanko Umar Yakasai, has expressed confidence that the opposition coalition aiming to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027 will ultimately collapse.
Speaking with reporters in Abuja over the weekend, Yakasai, a medical doctor and the son of elder statesman Tanko Yakasai, stressed that Nigerians remain wary of these political figures due to their track records and lack of trustworthiness.
He underscored the need for national healing and progress, pointing out that the coalition members have historically failed Nigerians when given the chance to govern.
“In Nigeria, we have seen that after every election, the losers tend to cry the loudest, even when they performed abysmally when given the opportunity to serve the people,” Yakasai said. He added that the current administration is focused on healing the wounds left by past misgovernance and putting Nigeria on a sustainable path.
“The APC has come to clear the mess left by the Peoples Democratic Party’s 16 years of misrule,” he noted. “You can remember that it was in this country that $16 billion meant for power infrastructure went missing, and the Halliburton scandal happened, leading to the jailing of an American senator while collaborators here escaped justice.”
Yakasai highlighted that the APC’s mission is to restore trust and heal the nation’s fractured institutions. “Most of those who governed since 1999 performed badly, and now that President Tinubu has come to rectify their misgovernance, instead of supporting him, they are forming coalitions to regain power. Nigerians know their true colours and will not be deceived.”
He also addressed concerns about Nigeria turning into a one-party state amid defections to the APC, explaining that democracy allows for freedom of association. “Some APC members have also defected to the opposition, which is part of democratic practice,” he said.
Regarding the opposition coalition’s stability, Yakasai observed, “It is easy for coalitions to meet because of their interests, but when it comes to time to agree, they will naturally disagree because that is in their character. Many of their members are moving into APC in droves, gradually depleting the opposition.”
On President Tinubu’s accomplishments since taking office in 2023, Yakasai praised key reforms that signal healing and economic recovery. “The first major achievement of this administration is to do away with the unsustainable fuel subsidy that became a monster consuming resources, billions of Naira, that would have been used for national development but ended up in the pockets of a few individuals.”
He continued, “The second is the streamlining of the parallel foreign exchange market, which previously enabled round-tripping by a few connected persons who exploited the system instead of supporting industry.”
“These two major measures taken by President Tinubu have put a brake on the destruction of Nigeria’s economic system,” Yakasai said, emphasising the administration’s commitment to restoring economic health.
Looking ahead, he urged Nigerians to remain patient and supportive. “They should exercise patience and continue to support President Tinubu. I can guarantee them that, by the time the various policies take full effect, there will be a lot of benefits in road networks, health infrastructure, education, security, and the economy.”
He stressed the importance of continuity for lasting healing and progress: “You can’t start reforms and stop them midway. Some require continuity to fully mature. Nigerians should remember that even other candidates promised to remove petrol subsidy, but they would not have managed the consequences as professionally as President Tinubu is doing.”
“Insha Allah, there will be more progress. It is only when you guarantee continuity that you will see full results and manifest success in the next two years, especially if President Bola Tinubu returns for a second term.”