Southern Summit of Former Legislators Backs Tinubu for Second Term

The Southern Summit of Former Legislators has formally adopted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in office.

The adoption was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the summit, which held on Saturday at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, Ogun State. The former lawmakers praised the Tinubu administration for reforms they said had re-engineered the economy, strengthened the naira, and set Nigeria on the path of socio-economic recovery.

They urged state governments to key into the President’s reform agenda and support his efforts in building what they described as “a new Nigeria.”

Chief of Staff to the President and convener of the Summit, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, said President Tinubu’s signing of the tax reforms into law had ushered in “a new era of economic justice built on fairness, accountability, and national purpose.” Citing the World Bank’s Development Update, he revealed that Nigeria’s economy expanded by 4.6 percent in the last quarter of 2024, with annual growth at 3.4 percent—the fastest pace in a decade. He also highlighted a narrowing fiscal deficit from 5.4 percent of GDP in 2023 to 3 percent in 2024, alongside a sharp rise in federation revenues from ?16.8 trillion in 2023 to an estimated ?31.9 trillion in 2024.

Gbajabiamila stressed that unity in diversity was crucial to national development. “Nation-building goes beyond roads and schools; it is about forging a shared sense of identity and purpose,” he said, adding that Tinubu had demonstrated purposeful leadership through the creation of development commissions across the six geo-political zones.

Host governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, echoed the call for collective responsibility in nation-building. “It is not the duty of one region, party, or institution, but a shared responsibility that transcends tribal, religious, political, and economic divides,” he said. Abiodun urged former legislators to continue supporting policies that strengthen inclusive governance, human capital development, and inter-regional cooperation.

Chairman of the occasion, Senator Ken Nnamani, underscored the importance of such gatherings in proffering solutions to national challenges. Former House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara warned against what he called “pretenders in the political space” whose motives were driven by vengeance and ambition rather than patriotism. Former Speaker Patricia Etteh called for dialogue and shared purpose, noting that unity remains a key ingredient for peace and democratic progress.

The National Coordinator of the Summit, Hon. Raphael Igbokwe, assured that the platform would continue to serve as a forum for finding solutions to Nigeria’s challenges, while mobilizing the regions to collaborate with the federal government.