Former Speakers and Deputy Speakers of state Houses of Assembly have endorsed the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
They also pledged to take the message of his campaign to the grassroots, in addition to endorsing the far-reaching reforms being implemented by the Tinubu administration.
The former presiding officers were joined by former federal lawmakers at a meeting in Abuja yesterday under the aegis of the Forum of Former Presiding Officers of State Houses of Assembly of Nigeria (FOPSHAN).
Yesterday’s meeting in Abuja was chaired by former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim, who declared that Tinubu’s reforms were designed to bring prosperity to generations of Nigerians.
The forum, which comprises former legislative leaders, resolved to deploy its members across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to explain the administration’s policies and programmes and canvass support for the President.
The development is one of several endorsements of Tinubu’s 2027 bid in recent weeks, with different groups publicly declaring support for the President.
At the FOPSHAN summit, however, the former Speakers and Deputy Speakers went beyond expressing support, committing their networks and political experience to a grassroots mobilisation effort.
In its resolutions, the forum said it ‘unanimously endorses President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for a second term in office in the 2027 general elections’, citing what it described as his visionary leadership and commitment to national development.
The forum also endorsed the administration’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy, saying the immediate difficulties associated with the policy should be considered against its anticipated long-term benefits.
The summit was chaired by Anyim, while First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, a three-term senator, attended as Special Guest of Honour.
FOPSHAN National Chairman, Senator Wasiu Eshilokun-Sani, a former Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, hosted the gathering, while Ebonyi State Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, a former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, chairs the forum’s Board of Trustees.
The former legislators resolved to take the administration’s message to the grassroots, with former lawmakers at the national, state and local government levels expected to engage citizens and explain government policies and programmes.
They also reaffirmed their commitment to the unity and progress of the All Progressives Congress (APC), urging members to close ranks and support the administration at the federal and sub-national levels.
The forum further appealed to the First Lady to enlist its members as ambassadors for the government’s social intervention programmes, particularly initiatives targeting women, children and vulnerable Nigerians.
It also urged Tinubu and governors to draw on the experience of former presiding officers in appointments and policy formulation.
‘The conference calls on the President and governors to continue to tap into the wealth of legislative experience of former presiding officers in appointments and policy formulation for the good governance of the country,’ it said.
Anyim made a broader case for Tinubu’s reform agenda, arguing that the President was taking decisions with a time horizon extending beyond the next election.
The former Senate President described Tinubu as ‘not a politician of today’, but ‘a statesman of the moment and the next levels’.
He said the President’s political trajectory showed that he was prepared to take difficult decisions whose benefits might not become immediately apparent.
‘I rarely talk about iconic leaders. I rather observe them because most of the time they are not defined by the projects they do. They are rather defined by their vision and reforms to implement,’ Anyim said.
He identified the removal of petrol subsidy, student loans and the pursuit of state police as examples of policies he believed reflected longer-term planning.
‘His student loan policies target not today, but the next generation of leaders. The state police programme targets not today, but the stability of our social environment for the next generation,’ he said.
On subsidy removal, Anyim said the policy was intended to address immediate economic pressures while creating conditions for future growth.
‘Subsidy removal is not necessarily for today, but to bail out today and to secure the future, because reforms are not for immediate impact,’ he said.
He likened reform to farming, saying a leader who initiates fundamental changes should not necessarily expect to harvest the benefits during the planting season.
‘A reformer is therefore likened to a farmer. A farmer hopes for harvest, not during planting season, but harvest season. Statesman plans for the next generation to harvest,’ Anyim said.
Former Plateau State Governor and former Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Senator Simon Lalong, however, stressed that macroeconomic improvements must eventually translate into better living conditions for Nigerians.
Lalong acknowledged that the reforms, particularly petrol subsidy removal, had increased transportation and living costs and placed pressure on households and businesses.
He said Nigeria needed to move beyond macroeconomic stabilisation to shared prosperity, with the sustainability of the reforms depending substantially on whether Nigerians began to experience tangible improvements in their daily lives.
Lalong highlighted infrastructure, agriculture, security, human capital development, social protection and opportunities for young people as areas requiring sustained investment.
He called for investment in roads and bridges while stressing the need for quality and value for money.
He also identified student financing, consumer credit, targeted cash transfers, entrepreneurship, technical training and digital skills as measures that could cushion the effects of reforms and expand opportunities.
Lalong said the Renewed Hope Agenda should be treated as an interconnected framework covering food security, poverty reduction, economic growth, jobs, infrastructure, security, human capital, governance and the rule of law.
He nevertheless stressed that continuity of reforms should be accompanied by correction, accountability and improved implementation.
Nwifuru said former legislative leaders should not become spectators in national affairs after leaving elective office.
Drawing from his experience as a former Speaker, he stressed the importance of cooperation between the executive and legislature.
‘Those years taught me an enduring lesson. Governance is not the responsibility of the executive alone; it is a partnership between institutions,’ he said.
The governor said the ultimate objective of the economic reforms should be to expand Nigeria’s productive capacity and create opportunities, particularly for young people.
‘We must invest in agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, education, energy and technology. We must create an environment where Nigerians can produce more, businesses can grow and young people can find meaningful opportunities,’ he said.
Nwifuru also called for stronger legislative oversight, fiscal responsibility, stronger democratic institutions and further devolution of powers.
‘We have occupied the chambers where laws are made, scrutinised and voices of our constituents were amplified. We therefore cannot afford to be spectators in the journey of national development,’ he said.
The First Lady welcomed the endorsement, saying former Speakers and Deputy Speakers were well placed to appreciate the difficulties of governance and the courage required to pursue major reforms.
She urged them to remain active in public service despite leaving political office.
‘Leaving political office should never mean leaving public service. Nigeria still needs your wisdom, experience, and networks,’ she said.
She urged the former lawmakers to use the forum to preserve institutional memory, mentor younger legislators, promote democratic stability and contribute to development in the communities where they had served.
‘Coming from men and women who have themselves presided over legislative institutions, your endorsement carries special significance,’ she said, thanking them on behalf of the President for their support.
FOPSHAN chairman Senator Eshilokun-Sani said the summit was convened to allow experienced legislators to interrogate major policy decisions and contribute practical ideas to national development.
He cited petrol subsidy removal, changes in federation account allocation and efforts to strengthen local government financial autonomy as consequential decisions requiring careful examination.
‘These are consequential decisions which immediately affect citizens and institutions and they deserve thoughtful, honest and constructive engagement,’ he said.
Eshilokun said the success of the reforms would ultimately depend on the quality of implementation, the strength of institutions and the extent to which Nigerians experienced their impact.
He urged the participants to identify unintended consequences and areas requiring improvement, while demanding greater accountability in the management of public resources.
He also called for stronger collaboration among the three tiers of government, saying increased public revenue should translate into responsible governance and improved public services.