Why Tinubu Deserves Re-election – Ojo

Managing Director of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and Convener of the South West Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA), Hon. Oyetunde Ojo, has urged Nigerians to re-elect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027, citing what he described as the administration’s achievements in infrastructure development, education and security reforms.

Ojo also renewed his call for the immediate establishment of state police nationwide, arguing that decentralised policing had become necessary to effectively tackle the country’s security challenges.

Speaking during a live media chat aired on four national television stations in Abuja on Monday, Ojo said Nigerians should assess the Tinubu administration by comparing the state of the country before the President assumed office with developments currently taking place across key sectors.

According to him, many of the security challenges confronting the country today could have been mitigated if Nigeria had embraced state policing more than a decade ago.

Recalling his tenure in the House of Representatives between 2011 and 2015, Ojo said he was among lawmakers who supported moves to introduce state police during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, but the proposal was resisted for political reasons.

“We saw the dangers coming from the Sahel region and the growing instability in Libya, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Some of us believed state police were necessary because of the nature of our borders and emerging security threats, but politics got in the way,” he said.

He noted that Tinubu had consistently advocated state policing long before becoming president, citing the examples of the United States and the United Kingdom, where local policing complements federal security structures.

The FHA boss pointed to the security architecture introduced during Tinubu’s tenure as governor of Lagos State, including the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, saying they contributed significantly to reducing violent crimes and bank robberies in the state.

“The challenges we are seeing today reinforce the argument for state police. What some of us warned about years ago has now become a reality. The National Assembly should move quickly to conclude the constitutional process, and states should support the initiative,” he said.

Ojo said technological solutions, intelligence gathering and enhanced aerial surveillance would play critical roles in addressing insecurity, particularly along Nigeria’s extensive and porous borders.

He urged Nigerian innovators and technology experts to support government efforts by developing locally-produced drone technology and surveillance systems for military operations.

On President Tinubu’s overall performance, Ojo cited ongoing road projects across the country as evidence of the administration’s commitment to infrastructure renewal.

He listed the Abuja-Makurdi-Otukpo-Enugu corridor, the Kaduna-Kano road, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and several routes linking the North-West and North-Central regions among projects currently being reconstructed and expanded.

According to him, many of the roads are being built with reinforced concrete pavements designed to last for decades.

“These are not cosmetic roads. These are roads designed to serve Nigerians for many years. People travelling across the country can already see the difference,” he said.

Ojo also highlighted developments in the education sector, describing the absence of prolonged university closures as one of the administration’s major achievements.

“There has not been a prolonged nationwide university shutdown under this administration. Students are completing their programmes on schedule, and parents have greater certainty about their children’s education,” he said.

He further pointed to recent positive assessments by international rating agencies as signs of growing confidence in Nigeria’s reform agenda, arguing that difficult economic decisions taken by the administration were beginning to yield results through improved fiscal stability, infrastructure investments and enhanced investor confidence.

Defending the administration’s handling of the power sector, Ojo said the Electricity Act signed by President Tinubu had fundamentally altered the structure of electricity generation and distribution in the country by allowing states to generate and transmit electricity independently.

“Electricity cannot be transformed overnight. The President has provided the legal framework. States can now generate and distribute power. Investors are already showing interest, and the long-term benefits will become increasingly visible,” he said.

Ojo maintained that many of the reforms being implemented by the administration were aimed at addressing structural problems that had accumulated over several decades.

“Leadership requires taking difficult decisions and listening to the people. President Tinubu has demonstrated both. Nigerians should look at where the country was, where it is today and where it is heading before making their decision in 2027,” he said.