Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, says President Bola Tinubu has performed to merit reelection in the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme, Dogara said that, aside from the principles of a rational presidency, Tinubu’s leadership and reforms are sufficient reasons for the people of the North-east to vote for him in the next election.
He cited the ongoing construction of a road linking communities in the Mambilla Plateau to Cameroon as a major example of the president’s performance.
“Communities in the far-flung regions of the North-east, the Mambilla Plateau, where the president is building a road to link Nigeria and Cameroon, are happy,” Dogara said.
“This was a road that was promised to these communities before the 1961 plebiscite, but was never done. It was only during the tenure of Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the contract was awarded.”
Dogara said he recently visited the area and was struck by the reaction of residents, including traditional rulers, who expressed gratitude to the president.
“I went there, and the entire community gathered with the paramount ruler and told me that if I run into the president, I should thank him,” he said.
“They said this was part of what we were promised before we voted to join Nigeria, and he assured me that as far as they are concerned, 2027 is already decided.
“The joy I saw on the faces of these people was indescribable.”
The former speaker added that the region has seen an improvement in terms of security, saying that his Christmas trip to the North-east reflected growing confidence in Tinubu’s effort to secure the region.
“I come from the North-east region of this country. During Christmas, I travelled to Bauchi to receive the president when he was on a condolence visit, and when I was returning, on the road from Jos to Abuja, it took us nine hours to get to Abuja, even with security clearing the road. I have never seen such historic traffic to the North-east,” he said.
“You will ask yourself why people are travelling to the north-east. For the first time in about 15 years, I saw that.
“It means that people are beginning to have faith in what the government is doing in terms of security.
“Hitherto, people were running from the North-east to the hinterland. Now, during the holidays, people were moving back to the hinterland.”
Dogara noted that his support for Tinubu’s re-election was not based on zoning or power rotation but on performance.
“Even on merit, we are not talking about rotation,” he said. “I think a case can be made for the president to continue.”
