Tinubu should focus on reforms, not re-election, says ex-Lagos deputy governor

• Bucknor-Akerele said Tinubu should focus on national development, not his political ambition.
• She urged the president to study proposals by respected elder statesmen.

The former deputy governor of Lagos State, Kofo Bucknor-Akerele, has described President Bola Tinubu’s second-term ambition as a misplaced priority.

Bucknor-Akerele served as deputy to Tinubu from May 1999 to December 2002, although Tinubu remained in office until May 2007.

The octogenarian spoke on The Morning Brief, a programme on Channels Television, on Thursday.

She noted that the president’s attention should be on fixing the country’s economic and social structures.

According to her, seeking re-election in 2027 should not be the president’s concern at this time.

Bucknor-Akerele said, “Unfortunately, right now, what I see is that the president is looking for a second term, and that seems to be his focus. But I think he should try and look at what people like Emeka Anyaoku and so many others of that calibre sat down and they are trying to fashion something that is going to change Nigeria for the future generations.”

She urged the president’s advisers to guide him towards prioritising Nigeria’s development.

“I hope that his advisers would be able to tell him that 2027 is not our priority right now; our priority right now is fashioning something that will be able to make Nigeria great again,” she added.

Bucknor-Akerele is a member of The Patriots, a group led by the former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Emeka Anyaoku.