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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ruled out a return to Nigeria’s previous economic policies, defending the removal of petrol subsidy and challenging opposition politicians to explain how their proposals would resolve the country’s financial difficulties.
Speaking on Monday at An Evening with the Original City Boy, organised by the City Boy Movement led by Seyi Tinubu, the president said reversing his administration’s reforms would take Nigeria backwards.
His remarks appeared a veiled response to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s call for the restoration of petrol subsidy, even though he never mentioned the former vice president’s name in his address.
“I took difficult decisions from the first day of this administration because I believed Nigeria could not continue on its previous path. We must not allow the country to go backwards.
“You will hear our political opponents making promises, but you must examine those promises carefully and ask whether they offer practical solutions to the challenges facing Nigerians,” he said.
The president said his administration inherited severe financial pressures when it assumed office on May 29, 2023, making difficult decisions necessary to avert a deeper crisis.
Tinubu said: “When we took office, we faced serious economic challenges. We were struggling to meet some of our obligations, including payments to airlines. Almost everything in Nigeria depends on transportation. Our national carrier and the aviation sector faced difficulties. We could not simply continue printing money as though that were a sustainable solution.”
Acknowledging the difficult consequences of the reforms, the president said, “Looking back, I have learnt important lessons from the challenges of the past. The first lesson is that leadership requires taking responsibility for the consequences of one’s decisions.”
Excited at the turnout at the event, he said, “I remember the predictions that young people would turn their backs on our reforms. Those who made such predictions were wrong. You are here, demonstrating your faith in the promise of a better Nigeria.”
Drawing on religious accounts to explain his appeal for perseverance, the president said, “Our history teaches us that great journeys require faith, courage and perseverance. The story of Moses (Bible) and Musa (Koran) remind us that the path to freedom and progress often involves confronting difficult circumstances before reaching a better destination.”
Challenging members of the group, Tinubu said, “You must go to your campuses, your markets, your communities and your places of work. Engage every young person you know. Whether they hold a PhD or have no formal qualifications, speak to them about what we have done and what we intend to do. Explain our policies. Present the facts. Compare our record and our plans with those of our opponents.”
“You are not simply campaigning for me. You are campaigning for your own future,” he said.
“Today, more than one million students have benefited from support through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). We are also creating opportunities for young Nigerians to access credit and acquire the tools they need to improve their lives,” the president further said.
“I have entrusted young people with real responsibilities in this government, and I have watched them deliver. I intend to do even more because those who will live longest with the consequences of today’s decisions must have a role in shaping them,” Tinubu further explained.
On university education, the president said, “I promised to address the recurring disruption of academic calendars caused by strikes in our universities. A four-year university course should take four years. We have continued to work towards that objective.”
While commending the organisational structure of the City Boy Movement, he said “You have not merely gathered people; you have built an organisation. You have established a presence across the states, local government areas and wards, extending to the polling-unit level.
“That is more than noise. That is organisation. That is effective grassroots mobilisation. That is the kind of seriousness our country needs,” he said.
He assured members that their contributions would receive recognition in his campaign and administration.
“I therefore assure you that you will not be left behind—not in this campaign, not in this government and not in the Nigeria we are building together.”
Shettima speaks
Also speaking, Vice President Kashim Shettima said President Tinubu’s decisions had prevented a more severe economic crisis, arguing that the administration assumed office when Nigeria’s finances were under intense pressure.
He said, “When the President assumed the mantle of leadership on 29 May, 2023, the country, the economy was teetering on the brink of collapse. We had a paltry $3.9 billion in our foreign reserves and a debt of over half of Ways and Means of ₦27 trillion…
“The President is an honourable man. Instead of resorting to name-calling, instead of heaping the blame on his predecessor, what the President said was that he had to inherit the assets and liabilities of his administration.”
“The President took those far-reaching decisions. He had the courage of conviction and the knowledge to take those decisions that repositioned the Nigerian economy. Yes, Nigerians have gone through some tough times, but it could have been worse,” he said.
On food security, he said, “In the coming weeks, the President will come up with robust responses to agricultural challenges, and prices of foodstuff will certainly come down.”
He urged supporters to defend the administration with facts and debate policy without personal attacks, even as he recalled the longstanding relationship between Tinubu and Atiku, including their involvement in political alliances.
“Desperation is not insanity. There is honour even amongst politicians, and I believe that there is a minimal threshold below which, even as politicians, we should not fall,” he said.
Referencing the opponents, Shettima said “They are not our enemies. They are our co-travellers in national rebuilding.”
Abbas
In his remarks, Speaker House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas urged the City Boy Movement to build a platform through which Nigerians could assess government performance, rather than limit its work to celebrating political leaders.
“This must not be a celebration; it must be an audit,” he said.
He called for the documentation of budgets, projects, implementation records and results, saying citizens needed accessible evidence to determine whether public officials were fulfilling their promises.
“A political movement must not become a fan club. Leadership must be judged by performance, not by the number of people who celebrate the leader,” the speaker said.
He said the proposed assessment should cover presidents, ministers, governors, legislators, local government chairmen and political appointees.
According to him, supporters should demonstrate how government programmes have improved people’s lives and hold officials accountable for public resources.
“Carrying the President’s portrait or celebrating his leadership is not enough,” he said.
He encouraged the movement to apply artificial intelligence and policy analysis to the presentation of government information. He also called for greater participation by women and persons with disabilities in the democratic process.
Also at the event, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin commended the movement’s use of technology and artificial intelligence to document government programmes.
“I believe there is no other political organisation in this country doing what you are doing. This organisation is not only human-driven; it is also technology-driven and AI-driven,” he said.
He urged the organisation to include Tinubu’s political philosophy and personal history in its digital content, alongside a question-and-answer feature through which users could examine opposition politicians’ records.
He said the platform should enable Nigerians to compare previous performance in public office with current campaign promises.
“This will enable people who engage with your technological platform to understand the issues and make informed decisions. We must ensure that Nigerians are not misled by false promises or carried away by prevailing political narratives,” he said.
DG CBM
Earlier, Director-General of theMovement, Francis Shoga, said the organisation was targeting at least 10 million youth votes for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
He said its national database contained 4.6 million registered members, with structures being expanded across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“Mr President, on behalf of the City Boy Movement, I assure Your Excellency that we are mobilising with discipline, organising with purpose, and working with determination.
“We are committed to delivering a minimum of 10 million Nigerian youth votes in January 2027 in support of the Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said.
He said the movement had reached more than 50,000 young Nigerians through its Renewed Hope Youth Tour and was building its presence across the country’s 774 local government areas, wards and polling units.
Its activities, he said, included town hall meetings, campus engagements, house-to-house outreach, market visits and social media campaigns to explain government policies and encourage youth participation.
He appealed to the President to appoint more qualified young Nigerians into government, saying the organisation was prepared to contribute to national development.
…Youth minister
The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said the movement was ready to take the administration’s message across the country.
He described the gathering as an opportunity for young Nigerians to engage with a President they believed had given them a voice in governance, adding that Tinubu’s support for emerging political leaders had helped broaden youth participation.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Relax, Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria group, Ahmed Bala, said his organisation had documented more than 340 achievements of the administration and was distributing information materials in tertiary institutions.
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