President Bola Tinubu has said he is not bothered by criticism from Nigerians, insisting he remains focused on his administration’s goals. He also took a swipe at past leaders, blaming them for the country’s long-running electricity problems.
Speaking during a meeting with political stakeholders in Enugu, led by Governor Peter Mbah, Tinubu brushed aside critics of his government and urged his supporters to stay focused.
“Democracy will survive despite all intimidation. Ignore the naysayers. Stay focused. When you succeed, and they are angry, let them be. I do not lose sleep over criticism because we are committed to building a nation of bright hope for our children,” Mr Tinubu said.
He went further, pointing fingers at earlier administrations over the power sector, saying their actions worsened the situation.
“We have leaders who have privatised electricity that is not working. They gave us darkness, and we are trying to get ourselves through that to build a nation of bright hope and joyful people, leaving our children with a life worthy of pride. But, they don’t even believe in the democracy they preach; don’t pay attention to them.”
Tinubu thanked the Enugu delegation for their support, saying reports of development across states show that his economic reforms are working. He also praised governors for using funds sent to them to improve health, education, infrastructure, and general welfare.
According to him, the growing political support for the ruling APC is tied to the results of these reforms, noting that Governor Mbah’s alignment with the party followed increased federal support for Enugu.
“You have been a transformative leader, and we genuinely appreciate what is evolving in Enugu today in a manner that we are witnessing a rapid development of the state.
“The results you are outlining, like security, infrastructure, education and health care, are not abstract. They are the evidence that reform is working, that difficult decisions are yielding real outcomes and that Nigeria is moving forward.
“I can assure you we will continue to work together, think together and build together a nation that will be a pride of place for all our citizens.
“On the matter you’ve raised the railway line from Port-Harcourt court to Enugu, the power sector reforms and the infrastructure—this is the backbone of economic development. We will do more,’’ he said.
He added that the old problem of funding big projects with short-term money has been addressed, as more funds have now been released to states for development planning.
