“Tinubu Deserves the Same Two Terms That Buhari Had” – Presidency

The presidency has declared that President Bola Tinubu deserves a second term in office, just like his predecessor, the late Muhammadu Buhari. Speaking in an interview with Trust Radio on Wednesday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, urged Northern politicians to allow the South to complete its turn in power, noting that the region supported Buhari through his eight-year tenure.

Onanuga dismissed recent claims of marginalisation by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) as a political tactic aimed at discrediting the Tinubu administration. He said the criticisms leveled against the president were driven largely by regional bias. “This president is a Nigerian. He deserves the same two terms that Buhari had. Let’s not sacrifice the country for personal ambition,” he stated.

Addressing allegations that federal appointments favour the Southwest, Onanuga challenged critics to present hard evidence rather than relying on generalisations. On infrastructure concerns in the North, he explained that Tinubu inherited numerous uncompleted and abandoned projects nationwide.

He also pointed to the appointments of Northerners to strategic security roles—including the National Security Adviser, Chief of Defence Staff, and both Defence Ministers—as signs of inclusive governance. According to him, security in many parts of the North has significantly improved. “Places like Birnin Gwari and Igabi (in Kaduna) are now safer. I drove from Kaduna to Abuja without incident, a journey that was once unthinkable,” Onanuga said.

He concluded by warning that politically motivated narratives aimed at portraying Tinubu as divisive or biased were attempts to weaken a government focused on national development.