‘Tinubu Must Stay’: President’s men fire back at Atiku, list GDP, NELFUND, CNG gains

ABUJA: Supporters of President Bola Tinubu under the aegis of Tinubu Must Stay TMS, have opposed calls by the opposition for the sack of the president in January’s election, listing Gross Domestic Product GDP growth, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund NELFUND and Compressed Natural Gas CNG conversions among the reasons he should be retained in office.

Following the reported arrest of five youths in Borno state who were wearing “Tinubu Must Go” branded T-shirt, the African Democratic Congress ADC, had condemned the arrests and consequentky adopted the statement as one of its campaign slogans, with several of its supporters also known wearing such T-shirts.

On Thursday, ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, ended his Independence Day address with the refrain “Tinubu must go”, which he declared three times.

Atiku, in a State of the Nation address at the ADC headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, October 1, rejected the President’s claim that Nigeria had entered an “age of prosperity”. He concluded: “We have chosen a different course, peacefully and together, through the power of our votes; the message is clear: Tinubu must go. Tinubu must go. Tinubu must go”

However, in a statement signed by its National Convener, Engr. Ibrahim Uba, the Tinubu Must Stay group said it was established by “citizens who support continuity of the Tinubu administration and want to promote their case through facts, data and public engagement.”

TMS conceded that the President’s reforms had come at a price, but that his administration responded with major policy changes, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and foreign-exchange reforms. “Those measures have imposed substantial costs on households, with Nigerians experiencing higher living, transportation and energy costs.

“The challenges should neither be ignored nor understated. At the same time, public discussion should examine the administration’s full record—including measurable outcomes, unresolved problems and the longer-term objectives of its reforms.”

On the economy, the group said: “Nigeria’s economy recorded 4.43 per cent real GDP growth in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 4.23 per cent in the corresponding quarter of 2025 and 3.89 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, according to the National Bureau of Statistics NBS.

“Headline inflation stood at 15.39 per cent in August 2026, down marginally from 15.43 per cent in July. While this represents a moderation in the rate of inflation, it does not mean that prices have fallen; the Consumer Price Index continued to rise, meaning households still faced increasing prices, albeit at a slower rate.

“The Nigerian Education Loan Fund NELFUND reported by June that more than 1.5 million students had benefited from the student-loan programme, with over ₦282 billion disbursed.”

It also pointed to the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, which it said “has recorded more than 160,000 trained fellows across three cohorts, with about 1.87 million people registered and in the programme’s broader pipeline.”

On transportation, the group said: “Current official figures indicate that more than 120,000 vehicles have been converted to CNG, supported by over 400 certified conversion centres and more than 90 refuelling stations.”

It cautioned, however, that “the challenge now is ensuring that this expanding infrastructure translates into meaningful and widespread reductions in transportation costs for Nigerians.”

On housing, the statement said under the Renewed Hope Housing Programme and Federal Housing Authority projects, the administration has delivered more than 10,000 housing units across the federation, with more than 300,000 jobs projected or associated with the programme.

The group also acknowledged the limits of its figures. “TMS recognises that statistics do not erase hardship and that government programmes should be assessed not merely by announcements or expenditure, but by their actual impact on citizens.

“Our purpose, therefore, is not to deny Nigeria’s difficulties. It is to ensure that public debate about those difficulties also recognises many documented positive interventions and allows competing claims to be tested against evidence,” the statement added.

TMS said it would pursue its case “peacefully, factually and democratically,” adding that “Nigeria’s future belongs to all Nigerians, and the electorate holds the ultimate judgment on political leadership.”