Tinubu, Leader, Not Politician, Says Gbajabiamila at Southern Legislators’ Summit
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has described President Bola Tinubu as a leader driven by statesmanship rather than politics, crediting him with bold reforms aimed at securing Nigeria’s long-term stability.
Gbajabiamila made the remarks on Saturday at the 2025 Southern Summit of former legislators held in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The summit, themed “National Unity: Bedrock of Nation Building”, drew notable figures including former Senate President Ken Nnamani, former House Speakers Yakubu Dogara and Patricia Etteh, the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Ajibola Bashiru, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, and the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Oludaisi Elemide.
Speaking as convener of the summit, Gbajabiamila praised Tinubu’s policies such as the removal of fuel subsidy, tax reforms, and the creation of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which guarantees access to tertiary education for all Nigerian students.
He said these actions were taken not with elections in mind but with the goal of securing the country’s economic future.
“The absolute clarity of the President’s vision is the reason this administration has set out from day one to tackle the most difficult reforms,” Gbajabiamila said. “Today, the Federal Government is no longer paying inflated subsidy claims that benefit only a tiny minority. With NELFUND, every Nigerian child is guaranteed a tertiary education. With the signing into law of the tax reforms, President Bola Tinubu has ushered in a new era of economic justice built on fairness, accountability, and national purpose.”
He stressed that these reforms are signs of “extraordinary statesmanship” and not political maneuvering. According to him, while the changes come with temporary hardship, Nigerians must remain patient, as “fixing what has long been broken imposes costs, entails sacrifice, and takes time.”
Gbajabiamila also dismissed critics who describe the past two years as a period of hardship and failed promises, insisting that available data points to a different outcome. He called on former legislators to actively promote unity and national cohesion, describing them as crucial partners in the process of nation-building.
The summit ended with a renewed call for collaboration among political leaders to strengthen Nigeria’s unity and ensure the sustainability of ongoing reforms.
