Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has described the emergence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 general election as a major boost for the consolidation of ongoing economic and institutional reforms across the country.
Bamidele stated this in a congratulatory message issued by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs in Abuja on Monday following Tinubu’s overwhelming victory at the APC nationwide presidential primary election.
President Tinubu secured 10.99 million votes at the primary, defeating his sole challenger, Mr. Stanley Osifo, who polled 16,503 votes.
Reacting to the outcome, the Senate Leader said Tinubu’s emergence reflected the confidence of party members and Nigerians in his leadership, reform agenda and commitment to national transformation.
According to him, the President’s candidacy would further strengthen and refine ongoing reforms aimed at repositioning Nigeria for sustainable economic growth and prosperity.
“I am therefore confident that your candidacy will help to fine-tune ongoing reforms across all sectors of the country and make us a prosperous nation. Your track records show that you are an agent of change,” Bamidele stated.
He said Tinubu assumed office at a period of severe economic challenges but demonstrated courage and political will by implementing difficult but necessary reforms to stabilise the economy and secure the country’s future.
“You became President when Nigeria’s economy was at its lowest ebb. You didn’t shy away from taking tough decisions. Rather, you prioritised critical actions to secure future generations,” he said.
Bamidele commended the President for what he described as decisive leadership in tackling economic and infrastructural challenges confronting the nation.
“You took the bull by the horns and confronted the problems head-on. This decisiveness has sparked economic progress in virtually every facet of our national life. No state is borrowing just to pay salaries any longer,” he added.
The Senate Leader highlighted several landmark infrastructure projects under the Tinubu administration, including the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the 1,068-kilometre Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway.
According to him, the projects would significantly improve connectivity, trade and economic integration across the country.
“At the same time, you have turned the country into a construction site, with the ongoing 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road Project, the 1,068-kilometre Sokoto-Badagry highway and other strategic road infrastructure projects that will connect different cities in the North and South,” he said.
Bamidele also praised the administration’s student loan initiative under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), noting that the programme had expanded access to tertiary education for thousands of Nigerians.
He disclosed that over 1.19 million students had registered under the scheme, while more than N242 billion had been disbursed to beneficiaries since the programme commenced.
“In three years, no fewer than 1,197,626 students have registered with NELFUND, 3,138,390 loan applications received, 1,613,132 institutional loans processed and 1,525,528 upkeep loans paid,” he stated.
The Senate Leader further pointed to improvements in Nigeria’s oil production and external reserves under Tinubu’s administration.
According to him, crude oil production increased from 1.273 million barrels per day in April 2023 to 1.71 million barrels per day, while external reserves rose from $35.09 billion in June 2023 to $49.49 billion in May 2026.
Bamidele also cited consistent GDP growth figures as evidence of the administration’s economic reforms, noting that Nigeria’s economy grew by 2.74 per cent in 2023, 3.4 per cent in 2024, 3.9 per cent in 2025 and 3.89 per cent in the first quarter of 2026.
“So much has been done to reform and transform Nigeria. A lot more will still be done with the emergence of President Tinubu as the standard bearer of the APC,” he said.
He further assured the President of strong electoral support from the South-West geopolitical zone ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
“In my capacity as the Leader of the Senate, I assure you of at least 10 million votes from the South-West geopolitical zone of the country. The machinery to deliver those votes is already in motion,” Bamidele added.
