Bucknor-Akerele slams Tinubu’s 2027 re-election focus, calls for national development

Former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Kofo Bucknor-Akerele, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s alleged focus on a 2027 re-election bid, describing it as a misplaced priority.

Bucknor-Akerele deputised ex-Lagos governor Tinubu from May 1999 to December 2002, though Tinubu was in office till May 2007.

She spoke on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme on Thursday.

According to her, the Tinubu administration should prioritise addressing the country’s socio-economic challenges over seeking a second term in office.

”Unfortunately, right now, what I see is that the president is looking for a second term and that seems to be his focus, but I think he should try and look at what people like Emeka Anyaoku and so many others of that calibre sat down and they are trying to fashion something that is going to change Nigeria for the future generations.

“I hope that his advisers would be able to tell him that 2027 is not our priority right now; our priority right now is fashioning something that will be able to make Nigeria great again, ” she said.

Bucknor-Akerele emphasised the need for drastic actions to improve Nigeria’s security, economic, and educational sectors.

She advocated for State Police, a decentralised security framework to enhance security nationwide.

The former deputy governor warned that dissatisfied youths might disrupt the ambitions of some politicians in the upcoming 2027 general elections if their concerns were not addressed.

Bucknor-Akerele further stressed the importance of full employment for youths, saying that many graduates were roaming the streets or working in low-paying jobs

As a member of The Patriots, led by former Commonwealth Secretary-General Emeka Anyaoku, Bucknor-Akerele emphasised the group’s call for a new constitution to secure the lives of current and future generations.

She said Nigerians were fed up with the current situation and that the Tinubu administration would have no alternative but to yield to the recommendations and pressure from reform-oriented groups like ‘The Patriots’ .

Bucknor-Akerele also said that Nigeria was in dire straits and required urgent attention to address its security, economic, and educational challenges.

She warned that if the government failed to take drastic actions, the country might be headed for disaster.