Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, have urged Nigerians to re-elect President Tinubu in 2027, saying his administration’s policies would improve the lives of Nigerians and reduce poverty.
They made the call on Saturday at a mega empowerment programme organised by Gbajabiamila for residents of his Surulere constituency at the National Stadium, Lagos, where more than 5,000 people benefited.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, urged Nigerians to examine the antecedents of presidential aspirants before casting their votes in 2027.
Hamzat said Tinubu’s political history demonstrated his ability to build and sustain a political organisation, recalling that when the number of Alliance for Democracy (AD) governors declined in 2003, Tinubu remained in the party and worked to rebuild it.
He criticised politicians seeking the presidency who, according to him, had moved across several political parties, questioning their consistency and ability to manage the affairs of the country.
“Anybody that cannot manage a political party cannot be a good leader; for them, they have failed,” Hamzat said.
He also urged residents of Surulere to support APC candidates in the forthcoming elections, saying the constituency had about 500,000 registered voters and should deliver at least 380,000 votes for the party.
Gbajabiamila, while canvassing support for Tinubu, said the president was working to improve the lives of Nigerians through increased allocations to states and local governments, the interest-free student loan scheme and other initiatives.
He said the federal government was also working on a framework for the creation of state police, describing the proposed reform as significant.
“In the area of security, the president has set up a committee which is chaired by me to lead the framework for the creation of state police. This is a monumental reform and I promise you President Tinubu will deliver,” he said.
Gbajabiamila urged Nigerians to support Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, saying the administration’s work should continue.
“All of this leads to one message for 2027. The work has started and it must continue. I am asking you, as your friend, as your leader, as your brother, as your fellow Surulerian, to renew your mandate for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
The Chief of Staff also spoke on the controversy surrounding the investigation into the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council/Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PFIPC/PEAC).
Gbajabiamila said he had faced calls for his removal during the controversy but expressed appreciation to Tinubu for insisting that due process be followed before reaching a conclusion.
He also thanked residents of Surulere and other Nigerians who supported him during the period.
“Stories were written, false accusations were made, lies were told, and my integrity was questioned. Through it all, the people of Surulere, the people of Lagos State, and many, many Nigerians kept me in their prayers and spoke up for me when it mattered,” he said.
Gbajabiamila claimed that investigations by the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) cleared him of wrongdoing, adding that the reports were in the public domain.
He also thanked Tinubu for refusing to reach a conclusion before the investigations were completed.
“Many people wanted him to rush to judgment and give a verdict before the investigation. He refused and insisted on due process,” he said.
Gbajabiamila said no amount of blackmail or allegations would distract him from carrying out his responsibilities as Chief of Staff.
“No amount of money, no amount of blackmail or lies, whether sponsored from within or outside, will detract me from my work and the work Mr President has given me to do,” he said.
On the empowerment programme, Gbajabiamila said 3,905 beneficiaries received N250,000 each, while 348 others received N500,000 each to support their businesses.
He said 61 beneficiaries received electric vehicles, 50 received electric tricycles and 16 received mini-buses.
Other items distributed, according to him, included 100 laptops, 12 territorial houses, 18-seater buses, two security patrol vehicles, a medical ambulance and a special T2 Jeep.
Gbajabiamila said the programme involved N1.15 billion in cash support and a total of 279 vehicles, comprising electric and petrol-powered vehicles.
Speaking at the event, the chairman of the Lagos State Governance Advisory Council, Tajudeen Olusi, and the director-general of the Tinubu/Hamzat Campaign Council, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, commended Gbajabiamila for the empowerment initiative.
They urged residents of Surulere to support APC candidates in the forthcoming elections.
Gbajabiamila assured members of his constituency that he would continue to organise empowerment programmes for them for as long as he remained in public office.
“Once a representative, always a representative,” he said, adding that the programme was a continuation of his support for the people of Surulere and women across Nigeria.
He urged the beneficiaries to make effective use of the items and financial support provided.
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