Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd.), on Saturday in Abuja gave a blanket endorsement of President Bola Tinubu’s performance, declaring that the President is ‘doing the best he can all round’ across all sectors of governance.
Gowon, who spoke at the State House after a visit to the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, said there was no particular area requiring improvement in President Tinubu’s leadership.
‘As far as it goes, isn’t he doing the best he can all round? So there is no particular place. Every other area, political, economic, social, etc, and of course, the major problem that we have today, the security in the area, he’s doing everything to deal with those for the good of Nigeria’, the former military leader stated.
When asked specifically which areas he wanted the President to improve on, Gowon responded, ‘There is no particular place. He’s got to look after the interests of Nigeria in all areas’.
The elder statesman said his visit was to thank President Tinubu for his work and to acknowledge the progress Nigeria is making under his administration.
‘I came to see him and to thank him for all the good work that he’s doing for the country.
‘We had to look at all the good work that the President is doing and the progress that Nigeria is making economically and otherwise’, Gowon said.
On security challenges confronting the nation, Gowon expressed confidence in Tinubu’s handling of the situation, saying the President is dealing with threats ‘the best he can’.
‘The major problem that we have today, the security in the area, he’s doing everything to deal with those for the good of Nigeria, for the good of all Nigerians’, he stated.
Asked to speak on recent developments in the country given his reputation as a voice of peace, Gowon insisted that only President Tinubu can rally Nigeria through its current challenges.
He said, ‘The problem that is happening today, it is only the government today, Mr. President, that can rally and deal with it, and he is dealing with it the best he can without creating any problem for Nigeria and for the country
Gowon assured Nigerians that the government is handling the situation appropriately and expressed optimism about the country’s future.
‘I can assure you, the government is handling it the best it can to ensure that Nigeria, in the end, achieves the peace that it deserves, that it requires and it deserves’, he stated.
Gowon, who ruled Nigeria from 1966 to 1975 and is the country’s longest-serving head of state, is widely respected as an elder statesman.
The nonagenarian has maintained an active role in national discourse often attending past meetings of the National Council of State virtually.
Saturday’s visit comes amid security challenges in parts of the country, particularly in the Northeast where insurgents have intensified attacks on military formations in recent weeks.
The opposition has criticised President Tinubu over rising insecurity, inflation, and the impact of economic reforms, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy implemented in June 2023.
The administration has pointed to improvements in foreign reserves, crude oil production, and revenue generation as evidence of progress.
On Friday night, President Tinubu told media proprietors and executives that Nigeria had been pulled back from the brink of economic collapse and urged them to hold state and local governments accountable with the same scrutiny applied to the Federal Government.
