President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appealed to Nigerians to give his administration more time to complete what it has started, saying his government is addressing mistakes and missed opportunities from previous administrations.
Gatekeepers News reports that Tinubu made the appeal on Friday through Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the House of Representatives, during a special prayer session at the National Mosque in Abuja to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.
The president said the country had faced several challenges since independence but urged Nigerians not to lose hope, expressing optimism that peace and development were gradually returning.
“This anniversary—the 66th—by all accounts signifies Nigeria has come of age,” Tinubu said.
He described Nigeria’s journey since independence as mixed, noting that the country had experienced both challenges and opportunities.
“Nigeria was bedevilled with a lot of issues in the past and opportunities as well. But we thank Almighty Allah for granting us the life and the peace for us to witness this very historic event today,” he said.
The president also said his administration was addressing problems inherited from previous governments, urging citizens to consider the direction of its policies.
“More importantly, citizens should look at the focus of the government of today, that the mistakes of the past—the cumulative mistakes and the missed opportunities of the past—are being corrected in this particular administration,” he said.
Tinubu maintained that Nigeria was moving in the right direction and said the difficulties experienced by citizens would eventually give way to better conditions.
“And I want to categorically make it clear that Nigeria is on the right path; that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and that Nigerians have finished making sacrifices for this country to be great again,” he said.
He consequently asked Nigerians to give his administration additional time to consolidate its work.
“We should give this government more opportunity for it to come back and finish the good work [it has started],” Tinubu said.
The prayer session was attended by senior government officials, including Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, governors, members of the National Assembly, ministers, Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume and military chiefs.
Tinubu’s comments come as his administration continues to defend its economic reform programme and seek support for continuity ahead of 2027 general election.
