2027: Sanwo-Olu backs Tinubu, says ‘Unfinished Reform is the most expensive’

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term bid, saying the administration’s economic and security reforms require continuity to deliver their full benefits.

Sanwo-Olu spoke on Thursday while delivering the main lecture at the 7th Freedom Online Yearly Lecture at the Sheraton Lagos Hotel, Ikeja, with the theme, “2027 Elections: Economy, Security and Nigeria’s Future.”

The governor, who is serving his second and final term, said he would not pretend to be politically neutral but would approach the debate first as a Nigerian and then as a member of the All Progressives Congress.

“I will not pretend to be neutral. I am a proud member of the All-Progressives Congress. I believe in the reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and I will say so plainly,” Sanwo-Olu said.

“But I will try to speak first as a Nigerian and only then as a partisan.”

He described Nigeria’s uninterrupted democratic experience since 1999 as a major achievement, particularly against the backdrop of military takeovers in several West African countries.

“In a region where the ballot box is under siege, Nigeria’s unbroken run of elections is the anchor, and we should say so,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu defended the removal of the petrol subsidy, acknowledging the hardship it had imposed but arguing that the policy was necessary to prevent public resources from being consumed by an unsustainable system.

“The subsidy was not removed because anybody enjoyed removing it. It was removed because it had become a hole in the national purse through which the money for roads, schools and hospitals was draining away,” he said.

“I will not stand here and tell you that it has been painless. It has not.”

The governor nevertheless cited economic growth, rising foreign reserves, lower inflation and increased remittances as evidence that the reforms were beginning to produce results.

“These are not my numbers. They belong to the National Bureau of Statistics and the Central Bank of Nigeria, and every journalist in this hall can check them. I invite you to,” he said.

On security, Sanwo-Olu said insecurity could threaten the 2027 elections by restricting campaigns, endangering election officials and discouraging voters.

He backed state policing, drawing from Lagos’ experience with community-based security initiatives.

“When it is completed, it will rank among the most consequential reforms in the history of this country,” he said.

He also linked jobs, security and economic growth, warning that Nigeria’s youthful population could become either a major national dividend or a source of instability.

“Nigeria has one of the largest youth populations on earth. That is either the greatest dividend in our history or the greatest danger to it,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu also cited the recent Osun governorship election, where the APC lost to Governor Ademola Adeleke, as evidence of Tinubu’s commitment to democratic competition.

“A mandate is only as strong as the process that produced it. No office in this land is worth the life of a single Nigerian, and no victory won by the wrong means is a victory at all,” he said.

He ultimately declared his expectation that Tinubu would win a second term.

“I expect my party to win, and I expect a second term for President Tinubu to consolidate the Renewed Hope agenda, because an unfinished reform is the most expensive kind,” Sanwo-Olu said.

Former Ogun State Governor and Senator Gbenga Daniel and former Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed separately stressed the interconnectedness of security, economic growth and democratic stability in their remarks at the event.

Daniel, who was Special Guest of Honour, said Nigeria could not achieve sustainable economic growth without security, while economic exclusion could itself undermine national stability.

“Nigeria cannot have a strong economy without security, and it cannot have lasting security without a strong economy,” Daniel said.

While acknowledging the reported 4.43 per cent economic growth in the second quarter of 2026, Daniel said GDP figures alone were insufficient to determine whether Nigerians were benefiting from economic reforms.

“The true test of economic progress is not only what appears in GDP figures. It is what Nigerians experience in their daily lives,” he said.

He asked whether young Nigerians could find decent jobs, farmers could safely reach their farms, manufacturers could remain competitive and small businesses could cope with rising operating costs.

Daniel described security as “an essential part of economic infrastructure”, arguing that insecurity raises transportation costs, disrupts agriculture, discourages investment and forces businesses to spend more on protection.

He cited the reported abduction of more than 7,800 people between July 2025 and June 2026 as “not only a security statistic” but “an economic warning.”

Daniel also called for greater focus on the non-oil economy, human capital and youth opportunities.

“They need more than speeches. They need skills, employment, access to capital, technology and a society in which enterprise and hard work can lead to a better life,” he said.

“If we give our young people opportunity, they will build Nigeria.”

Lai Mohammed, who chaired the lecture, similarly urged Nigerians to approach the 2027 elections as a nation-building exercise rather than simply a contest for political power.

“As we look toward 2027, our collective duty, as citizens, as media, as leaders, is to strengthen the foundations already being laid, not merely to critique them,” he said.

The former minister said security was a prerequisite for investment and economic expansion, while economic inclusion was critical to political stability.

“No business thrives in an atmosphere of uncertainty, and no foreign or local investor deploys capital where safety cannot be guaranteed,” he said.

He acknowledged the difficult challenges facing the Federal Government, particularly in economic reform and security, saying they would require “consistency, patience, institutional strengthening and, above all, national cooperation.”

Mohammed also charged the media to exercise greater responsibility during the election season, warning that sensationalism and fake news could deepen political tensions.

“We therefore need a media that is robust without being reckless; critical without being destructive; patriotic without becoming partisan; and free without forgetting the enormous responsibility that comes with freedom,” he said.

He urged journalists to remain “the custodians of truth” and ensure that the 2027 campaign focuses on policy, competence and concrete solutions rather than divisive rhetoric.