FORMER Lagos State Governor and immediate past Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has said he would rather offer advice to President Bola Tinubu privately than publicly criticise his administration, stressing that he enjoys direct access to the President and prefers to keep that line of communication open.
News Point Nigeria reports that Fashola made the remarks during an interview on TVC News on Wednesday while responding to questions on why he has largely refrained from publicly commenting on the performance of the Tinubu administration.
According to him, President Tinubu regularly seeks his views on governance and areas requiring improvement as the administration prepares for the 2027 general elections.
Explaining why he avoids discussing such matters on television, Fashola said he believes it is more appropriate to communicate his views directly to the President.
“He calls me today, and he says, ‘Today, identify one area where my administration must improve as we count down to 2027. What would you advise me?’ So, I will speak to the President on TV? I’ve told myself I would not do that,” Fashola said.
The former minister disclosed that he had already offered advice to the President on several issues, adding that preserving that private channel of engagement was more valuable than making public pronouncements.
“I have his ears, and when I need to see him, I’ve advised on a few things. I think that we must keep that channel open. It’s not my intention to advise him on television,” he said.
When asked whether the administration had developed any blind spots after about three years in office, Fashola dismissed the suggestion, insisting that his direct access to the President made public criticism unnecessary.
“There are no blind spots in this administration. You can’t be shouting at somebody whose ear you have,” he said.
The interviewer observed that many Nigerians had expected him to become more outspoken on national issues after leaving public office, but the former Lagos governor maintained that his approach had remained unchanged.
Fashola also dismissed suggestions that he might contest the presidency in the future, saying he had no such ambition.
Responding to a question on whether he would run for president, he simply replied, “No.”
When the interviewer pressed further, Fashola responded with a smile, “President of what? I’m president at home.”
Reflecting on his public service career spanning more than two decades, the former minister described the opportunity to serve Nigeria as an honour and expressed hope that his journey would inspire younger Nigerians to embrace public service.
He also declined to comment on the long-standing speculation over whether he had preferred Obafemi Hamzat or Olasupo Sasore as his successor ahead of the 2015 Lagos State governorship election.
Fashola, who confirmed that he remains a member of the Lagos State Governance Advisory Council (GAC), said the council’s role is purely advisory, stressing that there is a clear distinction between offering guidance and interfering in the affairs of government.
“There is a thin line between intervention and interference,” he said.