Tinubu to Nigerians: Give Us More Opportunity to Finish the Good Work

President Bola Tinubu has appealed to Nigerians to give his administration another opportunity to complete what he described as the good work of rebuilding the country.

Tinubu made the appeal in a message delivered by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, during a special prayer session at the National Mosque in Abuja to commemorate Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

The President said his administration was working to correct what he described as the cumulative mistakes and missed opportunities of previous administrations.

According to him, Nigeria’s 66 years of independence represented a significant milestone, although the country’s journey had been characterised by both challenges and opportunities.

“This anniversary—the 66th—by all accounts signifies Nigeria has come of age. The person of 66 years cannot be called a child anymore. Nigeria has become mature, even though when we reflect on the journey from independence to date, we may say it was a mixed journey,” Tinubu said.

He acknowledged the difficulties Nigeria had experienced since independence but urged citizens not to lose hope in the country.

“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, through Abbas, said his administration was focused on restoring peace and driving development across the country.

“My message to the country on behalf of the Mr president, the senate president and all members of the national assembly is that the citizens should not lose hope. Peace is coming back to this country. Development is coming back to this country. Things will get better as we progress in this democracy,” he said.

Tinubu further urged Nigerians to consider the direction of his administration and its efforts to address longstanding problems.

“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.

He also expressed confidence in the direction of the country, saying Nigeria was moving towards a better future.

“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,” Tinubu said.

The President then appealed to Nigerians to give his administration more time to pursue its agenda.

“We should give this government more opportunity for it to come back and finish the good work,” he said.

The remarks came as the Federal Government began activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary under the theme, “From Reforms to Stability: Consolidating Nigeria’s Renewed Hope for Shared Prosperity.”

The government has announced a low-key programme for the anniversary, including the Juma’at service, church service, an Independence Day public lecture and a nationwide broadcast by the President on October 1.

The Federal Government has said the anniversary would provide an opportunity to reflect on Nigeria’s journey since independence while highlighting the administration’s ongoing reform efforts and its plans to consolidate them.