Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Masari, says that in nearly four decades of political involvement, he has never seen a Nigerian president with better plans for the country than President Bola Tinubu.
Gatekeepers News reports that Masari made the remark while addressing a group of women at a recent public function reportedly held in Kaduna. His comments were contained in a video published on Tuesday by HM Arewa, a Hausa-language media platform.
“Even if I were asked to swear, on my age and my political involvement for almost 40 years, I can confidently say I have never seen a president with better plans to make Nigeria great than Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I have simply never seen anyone like him,” he said.
The former Katsina governor also dismissed claims that the Tinubu administration had achieved little, arguing that similar criticisms had been directed at previous governments.
“The people who claim that Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done nothing are the kind of people who never appreciate when someone is doing well,” Masari said.
He cited the administrations of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, saying they also faced accusations of sectionalism and tribalism.
“A short look at our history shows that in 1999, after Obasanjo finished his first four years, these same people came out with issues of sectionalism and tribalism.
“They did the exact same thing to Goodluck Jonathan, and that is exactly what they are doing now.
“Those among them who are still alive, along with the ones they raised to think the same way, are the ones behind this.”
Religion, ethnicity
Masari also criticised the use of religious and ethnic sentiments in political discourse, questioning the portrayal of religion as belonging exclusively to particular ethnic groups.
“What surprises me about our people when they talk about religion is this, is religion exclusive to the Hausa, the Yoruba, or even the Igbo?” he asked.
He urged women preachers to use their influence to discourage divisive rhetoric as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general election.
“Each and every one of you knows how to talk to her husband or children better than anyone else can,” Masari said.
“This divisive talk is only being pushed by people who are deeply selfish.”
Masari served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007 and was governor of Katsina State from 2015 to 2023.
In August, he was appointed Deputy Director-General, Parliamentary Mobilisation, of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has published the final list of 18 presidential candidates for the January 16, 2027 election. The list includes Tinubu of the APC, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress and Peter Obi of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, among others.
