By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) candidate in the 2024 Ondo State governorship election, Dr Abass Mimiko, has said President Bola Tinubu deserves a second term, citing the administration’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy.
Mimiko, younger brother of former Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, made the declaration while speaking with journalists in Ondo Town, Ondo State, on Sunday, 21 September, 2026.
He said any assessment of Tinubu’s performance should take into account the economic conditions the administration inherited and the changes recorded since it assumed office.
“I believe the President deserves a second term in office. Why do I say so? To address this issue, I want us to first of all situate the issues. Where are we coming from? Where are we now? And where do we intend to go with Nigeria?” he said.
Mimiko said Tinubu had taken responsibility for the difficult decisions made by his administration, noting that the President had never distanced himself from the challenges that came with the office.
He said Tinubu had made it clear before assuming office that he was prepared to confront the country’s challenges, adding that the President had subsequently pursued the reforms he promised.
According to Mimiko, Nigeria was already facing severe economic difficulties when Tinubu took over from former President Muhammadu Buhari, including high debt-service obligations, subsidy costs, foreign exchange challenges and insecurity.
“Most people don’t know that by the time President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took over the reins of power, Nigeria was on the brink of absolute total economic collapse. Most people don’t look at that reality,” he said.
He added that the country had inherited serious debt obligations and had lost financial credibility internationally, while fuel subsidy was consuming trillions of naira and insecurity remained widespread.
Mimiko further claimed that up to 98 per cent of the country’s earnings was being spent on debt servicing, while there was no budgetary provision for subsidy.
“He inherited from the previous administration an economy that was spending up to 98 per cent of its earnings to service debts alone. Not to pay them, to service debt. We had no budget for subsidy,” he said.
He argued that anyone who had helped move the country from what he described as “absolute failure” towards basic economic stability deserved the opportunity to continue the process.
“So, I am of the firm opinion that if somebody has made the effort to bring us out of the pit of absolute failure to where we are talking about basic stability, even if we are not there yet, I think that person deserves to have his hands on the plough to now take that economy to prosperity,” he said.
Mimiko, who remains a member of the opposition ZLP, said his position was based on his assessment of Tinubu’s determination to address the country’s economic challenges.
“I’m a realist, I’m a pragmatist. I think he deserves a second term,” he said.
He, however, urged the President to strengthen mechanisms for ensuring that funds allocated to state governments were effectively used to improve the lives of Nigerians, particularly through increased food production.
“If I’m to advise the President, I will tell him, I don’t know how you go about it, but how do you make sure that the states grow food? If you take hunger away from the problem of Nigeria, a lot of things will be easier,” he said.
Mimiko also referred to recent remarks by Tinubu criticising state governors for prioritising major infrastructure projects such as overhead bridges over projects that directly affect the welfare of their residents.
“The President said something recently. He said the governors are building overhead bridges all over the place instead of spending on things that are fundamentally important to the lives of their people,” he said.
