ABUJA, Nigeria — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appealed to Nigerians to give his administration more time to complete its programmes, saying the government is correcting what he described as the accumulated mistakes and missed opportunities of previous administrations.
Tinubu made the appeal on Friday, September 25, through the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, during a special Juma’at prayer session at the National Mosque in Abuja, organized as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.
The President urged Nigerians not to lose hope in the country, expressing confidence that peace and development would gradually return as the nation continued its democratic journey.
In his message, delivered by Abbas, Tinubu described Nigeria’s 66 years of independence as a significant milestone, noting that the country had experienced both challenges and opportunities since gaining independence in 1960.
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“This anniversary—the 66th—by all accounts signifies Nigeria has come of age. The person of 66 years cannot be called a child anymore. Nigeria has become mature, even though when we reflect on the journey from independence to date, we may say it was a mixed journey,” he said.
The President acknowledged the difficulties Nigeria had faced over the years but expressed gratitude for the country’s continued existence and the opportunity to celebrate another independence anniversary.
He said Nigerians should remain optimistic about the future, assuring them that the administration was working towards improving the country’s security, development and overall prospects.
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“My message to the country on behalf of Mr President, the Senate President and all members of the National Assembly is that the citizens should not lose hope.
“Peace is coming back to this country. Development is coming back to this country. Things will get better as we progress in this democracy,” Abbas quoted the President as saying.
Tinubu also defended the direction of his administration, arguing that the government was focused on addressing longstanding challenges and correcting what he described as the cumulative mistakes and missed opportunities of previous governments.
“More importantly, citizens should look at the focus of the government of today, that the mistakes of the past—the cumulative mistakes and the missed opportunities of the past—are being corrected in this particular administration,” he said.
The President further expressed confidence in Nigeria’s future, declaring that the country was on the right path and that the sacrifices made by citizens would eventually contribute to national progress.
“And I want to categorically make it clear that Nigeria is on the right path; that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and that Nigerians have finished making sacrifices for this country to be great again.
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“We should give this government more opportunity for it to come back and finish the good work,” he added.
The appeal comes ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, in which Tinubu is seeking another term in office. His remarks at the anniversary prayer session therefore come amid the growing political attention surrounding the next electoral cycle.
The Federal Government has announced a series of activities to commemorate the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary, with celebrations scheduled to take place on a low-key basis.
According to the government’s programme, the activities include the Juma’at prayer session on September 25, a church service on September 27, an Independence Day public lecture on September 30 and a nationwide broadcast by President Tinubu on October 1.
The 66th anniversary is being marked under the theme, “From Reforms to Stability: Consolidating Nigeria’s Renewed Hope for Shared Prosperity.”
The special prayer session was attended by several senior government officials and political leaders, including Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, state governors, members of the National Assembly, ministers, Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume and military chiefs.
The gathering provided an opportunity for prayers and reflection on Nigeria’s journey since independence, as the country prepares to mark another milestone in its history on October 1.
