Tinubu Must Stay Movement Unveiled, Cites Economic Reforms, Infrastructure, Social Programmes
A new political advocacy group, Tinubu Must Stay (TMS), has been unveiled in Abuja with a pledge to promote what it describes as fact-based public engagement around the policies, programmes and performance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
The National Convener of the movement, Engr. Ibrahim Uba, announced the initiative in a statement marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
Uba said the organisation was established by citizens who support continuity of the Tinubu administration and intend to make their case through data, public engagement and communication of government programmes.
According to him, TMS will focus on explaining government policies, highlighting documented projects and programmes, responding to misinformation and providing platforms for citizens to interrogate the administration’s record.
The movement identified fact-based counter-narratives, evidence-driven communication and civic engagement as its three major areas of intervention.
Uba said its activities would include digital policy explainers, community dialogues, youth engagements, media partnerships, expert analysis and testimonies from beneficiaries of government programmes.
While acknowledging the economic hardship experienced by Nigerians following the removal of petrol subsidy and foreign-exchange reforms, the group argued that the administration should be assessed on both the immediate consequences of the policies and their longer-term outcomes.
“The challenges should neither be ignored nor understated,” Uba said, adding that public discussion should also examine “measurable outcomes, unresolved problems and the longer-term objectives of the reforms.”
TMS Cites GDP Growth, Inflation, Student Loans
Presenting what the group described as indicators of progress, Uba cited Nigeria’s reported 4.43 per cent real Gross Domestic Product growth in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 4.23 per cent in the corresponding period of 2025 and 3.89 per cent in the first quarter of 2026.
The movement also cited headline inflation of 15.39 per cent in August, compared with 15.43 per cent in July.
It acknowledged that slower inflation did not amount to falling prices, noting that households continued to face rising costs despite the moderation in the rate of increase.
On education, TMS said the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) had reported more than 1.5 million beneficiaries and over N282 billion in disbursements as of June.
It also highlighted the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, saying more than 160,000 fellows had been trained across three cohorts, with about 1.87 million people registered in the wider programme pipeline.
In healthcare and social intervention, the group cited the deployment of National Health Fellows across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas and said the NG-CARES programme had reported reaching more than 15 million Nigerians, including vulnerable households, smallholder farmers and small businesses.
Roads, Housing and CNG
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TMS also highlighted major infrastructure projects being implemented by the Federal Government.
According to the statement, more than 2,700 kilometres of highways and major roads were under construction, reconstruction or rehabilitation as of May, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road and East-West Road.
The group clarified that the 2,700-kilometre figure covered projects at different stages of implementation and should not be interpreted as kilometres of completed roads.
On housing, TMS said the administration had delivered more than 10,000 housing units under the Renewed Hope Housing Programme and Federal Housing Authority projects, with more than 300,000 jobs projected or associated with the programme.
It further cited the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles, saying more than 120,000 vehicles had been converted to CNG, supported by over 400 certified conversion centres and more than 90 refuelling stations.
The movement, however, said the challenge was to ensure that the expansion of CNG infrastructure translated into meaningful reductions in transportation costs for ordinary Nigerians.
TMS also pointed to government interventions in agriculture covering fertiliser distribution, improved seedlings, mechanisation, irrigation, financing and market access.
Security Remains Major Challenge
On security, the group acknowledged that terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, oil theft and other violent crimes remained major national concerns.
It said security operations had intensified but maintained that progress should ultimately be measured by improvements in the safety of communities, highways, farms and businesses.
Uba stressed that the movement would not seek to use statistics to dismiss the economic difficulties facing Nigerians.
“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,” he said.
He added that the organisation wanted public debate to recognise documented interventions while allowing competing political and economic claims to be tested against evidence.
The group said Nigerians should continue to question government, scrutinise policies, verify claims and demand results.
As the country marked 66 years of independence, Uba said TMS believed reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration over the past three years required continued implementation to achieve their stated long-term objectives.
The movement invited Nigerians from different regions, generations and professions to participate in what it described as informed national dialogue.
Despite its name and stated support for continuity of the Tinubu administration, TMS presented itself as a platform for advocacy and public engagement. Its launch comes as political activities and competing narratives intensify ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Uba acknowledged that the final assessment of the administration and other political choices rested with Nigerians at the ballot box.
“Nigeria’s future belongs to all Nigerians, and the electorate holds the ultimate judgment on political leadership,” the statement said.
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