President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday commissioned some landmark projects in Imo State, using the occasion to deliver a robust defence of his administration’s economic policies and declare that the worst is over for Nigeria.

In his address following the project inaugurations, the president told residents of the state, traditional leaders, and government officials that the nation is witnessing tangible economic turnaround.

“We promised change and today I can confidently tell you that the worst is over. The Nigerian economy grew by 4.23% in the second quarter of 2025. That growth is not just on paper, it is real growth. Inflation has fallen to 20.12 percent as at August”, the president stressed.

Acknowledging the lingering hardship felt by many, President Tinubu thanked Nigerians for their patience and resilience. “We are making progress, but you may not feel it yet. I thank you for your patience. I thank you for your perseverance. Things are changing for the better and you will get the benefit,” he assured.

He pointed to the nation’s external reserves and a steadying Naira as proof that Nigeria is regaining international confidence.

Dismissing his critics, he said: “We understand financial engineering and progressive methodologies much better than they do, that’s why we are here.”

President Tinubu concluded with words of assurance: “Believe in us because we believe in you. I assure you, Nigeria has just turned the corner, you will see prosperity and the benefit of our labour.”

The landmark projects commissioned include the 52-kilometre Mbaise-Umuahia Road, the Control-Assumpta Twin Fly-Over, and the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Conference Centre (EIICC).

He praised Governor Hope Uzodimma for being progressive-minded.

The Imo State Governor Chief Hope Uzodimma attributed the successes recorded by his administration to the economic policies of the Federal Government noting that the APC has done well in sectors of the economy.

He said the decision to write the book: ”A decade of impactful progressive governance in Nigeria” was to contribute to deepening the party’s internal education, and public accountability.

Governor Uzodimma appealed to Nigerians to support President Tinubu to return to power in 2027 to enable him consolidate on his achievements.

He noted that President Tinubu had made necessary decisions to shape the economy of the country.

He said: “Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, given all that I have outlined, which is only a tip of the iceberg, does it not stand to reason that the man, who through rare courage, sheer determination and rugged political will, took the hard decisions necessary to renew our hope, should be allowed to finish the good work he has begun?

“I, therefore, call on every well-meaning Nigerian, across party lines and regions, to rally behind this progressive extraordinaire, President Bola Tinubu, in 2027. Let us give him the support he needs to consolidate these gains and deliver even greater prosperity for our people.

Uzodimma, while highlighting the gains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in his book acknowledged that the course of the president’s achievement was also saddled with hurdles, which he affirmed, were able to be surmounted.

“The APC made history in 2015 by defeating an incumbent party. It was clear we had become more than just a political vehicle. We became a movement, a courageous response to the yearnings of Nigerians for real change. That momentum has carried us through three national elections, each one reaffirming the trust placed in us by the people.

“As I began digging into the material, I was struck by the scale of what had been done, much of it unnoticed or quickly forgotten. The roads and bridges, the rail projects, the growth of agriculture, the digital economy, healthcare reforms, the fight against insecurity and the bold fiscal policies. They may not all have been perfect, but they shifted Nigeria in a direction we could not ignore.

“Documenting these developments reminded me that the work of governance is often thankless in the moment, but its impact unfolds over time.

“Again, I must pay tribute here to the leadership of our President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. His courage and clarity have carried this party and this country through many transitions. Long before he became President, his ideas and his persistence shaped the progressive family. Many of the reforms we now take for granted had their roots in his insistence that Nigeria must do things differently.”

He further hailed the President for his contribution in forming the APC. “It was he that worked relentlessly to bring together like-minds in 2013 to found the APC. It was this coalition of what looked like a cacophony of strange bedfellows that this legendary political leader and patriot of high repute, knit together to form a formidable family of common political ideas that ousted an incumbent government in 2015.

“This happened because in the two years between its founding and first electoral triumph, the APC had come together to present a clean break from a system that had grown arrogant, complacent and insulated from the realities of Nigerians.

“So, to a very large extent, the unprecedented electoral triumph of the APC in 2015, was largely due to the political dexterity and flexibility of our own Tinubu, who by the special grace of God, became president of Nigeria in 2023.

“The same must be said of his predecessor in office, the late President Muhammadu Buhari, who carried the baton at a different stage of this journey. He left a mark, contributed to the building of a party and a government that Nigerians could believe in.

APC’s acting National Chairman, Professor Nentawa Yilwatda, eulogised Uzodimma, affirming that he was conscious of the APC’s journey in Nigeria.

Yilwatda, who was the chairman of the book presentation, said the author captured where the APC was coming from and the progress so far.

He stated that Uzodimma’s leadership ingenuity had become a stabilising force in Nigeria’s political journey.

He lauded President Tinubu’s bold policies, which he described as transformative. (THE SUN)