NEWS
“In Almost 40 Years In Politics, I Have Never Seen A President With Better Plans Than Tinubu“ — Former Speaker of the House of Representatives and ex-Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari Says
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives and ex-Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, has declared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu stands out among the Nigerian presidents he has observed throughout his nearly four decades of political involvement.
Masari made the statement in a viral video published on Tuesday by HM Arewa, a Hausa-language media platform, during an address to a gathering of women at a recent public function reportedly held in Kaduna.
Speaking about his assessment of successive Nigerian administrations, the former governor said his extensive experience in politics had convinced him that Tinubu has presented plans for Nigeria that he had not witnessed from previous presidents.
“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.
Masari also pushed back against criticisms that the Tinubu administration has achieved nothing, arguing that similar patterns of criticism have followed previous governments.
According to him, public debates surrounding the administrations of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan also featured accusations and controversies, including allegations relating to sectional and ethnic considerations.
“The people who claim that Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done nothing are the kind of people who never appreciate when someone is doing well.
“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,” he stated.
The former Katsina governor further criticised the use of religion and ethnicity in political discourse, questioning the tendency to portray religious identities 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.
Masari’s remarks come as political activities and public debates begin to intensify ahead of the 2027 general election, with political actors increasingly appealing to different demographic and regional constituencies.
Addressing the women at the gathering, Masari urged women preachers and other influential women to use their platforms to discourage rhetoric that could deepen ethnic, religious and political divisions ahead of the election.
“Each and every one of you knows how to talk to her husband or children better than anyone else can.
“This divisive talk is only being pushed by people who are deeply selfish,” Masari said.
Masari’s political career spans several decades. He served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007 during the second term of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He subsequently served as Governor of Katsina State from 2015 to 2023 before continuing his involvement in national politics.
In August, Masari was appointed Deputy Director-General, Parliamentary Mobilisation, of the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign council for Tinubu’s re-election bid, placing him among the figures involved in the party’s mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.
The 2027 election is expected to feature a broad field of presidential contenders and an increasingly competitive political environment, with the Independent National Electoral Commission listing 17 other presidential candidates alongside Tinubu in the contest.
Among the prominent opposition figures identified in the race are former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
With the political atmosphere already beginning to heat up, Masari’s comments add to the growing debate over Tinubu’s record, the direction of the country and the issues likely to dominate the 2027 presidential campaign.