FORMER Speaker of the House of Representatives and former Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, has said that in nearly 40 years of active involvement in Nigerian politics, he has never seen a president with better plans for the country than President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Masari made the remarks while addressing a group of women at a recent public function reportedly held in Kaduna, in a video published on Tuesday by HM Arewa, a Hausa-language media platform.
News Point Nigeria reports that Masari expressed strong confidence in Tinubu’s plans for Nigeria, saying his assessment was based on his long experience of observing successive administrations.
“Even if I were asked to swear, on my age and my political involvement for almost 40 years, I can confidently say I have never seen a president with better plans to make Nigeria great than Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I have simply never seen anyone like him,” he said.
The former Katsina governor also took aim at those who claim that the Tinubu administration has achieved nothing, arguing that similar criticisms had been directed at previous governments.
According to him, the pattern was evident under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, when critics, after his first four years in office, raised issues bordering on sectionalism and tribalism.
Masari said similar criticisms were also levelled against the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, adding that the same pattern was now being repeated under Tinubu.
“The people who claim that Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done nothing are the kind of people who never appreciate when someone is doing well,” he said.
“A short look at our history shows that in 1999, after Obasanjo finished his first four years, these same people came out with issues of sectionalism and tribalism.
“They did the exact same thing to Goodluck Jonathan, and that is exactly what they are doing now.
“Those among them who are still alive, along with the ones they raised to think the same way, are the ones behind this.”
Masari also criticised attempts by some political actors to exploit religious sentiments, questioning the idea that religion should be associated exclusively with particular ethnic groups.
“What surprises me about our people when they talk about religion is this, is religion exclusive to the Hausa, the Yoruba, or even the Igbo?” he asked.
He consequently appealed to women preachers to use their influence to discourage divisive rhetoric as political activities ahead of the 2027 general election intensify.
“Each and every one of you knows how to talk to her husband or children better than anyone else can,” Masari told the women.
Masari served as governor of Katsina State from 2015 to 2023 and was subsequently appointed Deputy Director-General, Parliamentary Mobilisation, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2027 Presidential Campaign Council in August.
His remarks come as political activities ahead of the 2027 presidential election gather momentum, with Tinubu seeking another term in office and other political parties preparing their candidates and campaigns.
According to the information supplied by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), other presidential candidates include former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Peter Obi, among others.