Former Obidient Coordinator Joins TMS, Backs Tinubu’s Reforms for a Better Future
Former Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Marcel Ngogbehei, says President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has taken courageous economic decisions that previous administrations avoided, insisting that Nigerians must endure short‑term discomfort to secure long‑term national stability.
Ngogbehei, now Director‑General of the Tinubu Movement for Sustainable Governance Foundation (Tinubu Must Stay – TMS), stated this on Tuesday in Abuja during a press conference organised by the group to educate citizens on the administration’s reform agenda and sustainable governance projects.
He said the briefing was aimed at promoting an honest, transparent national conversation on the complexity of the challenges inherited by the administration and the impact of the reforms implemented so far.
According to him, Nigerians must interrogate the reforms objectively rather than through political sentiment.
He explained that TMS is not defending President Tinubu as an individual but evaluating whether the decisions taken were appropriate given the economic realities at the time he assumed office.
“We are looking at the initiatives he has taken and asking ourselves whether, based on the circumstances in which he got into power, they are the right moves or the wrong moves,” Ngogbehei said. “If you say they are the wrong moves, what would you do differently? If you say they are the right moves, then why antagonize him? He is bold enough to take initiatives that most leaders have run away from.”
Ngogbehei recalled that as far back as 2013, former Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo‑Iweala, warned that continued reliance on massive borrowing and Ways and Means financing—described as “printing money”—would eventually make it difficult for government to pay salaries.
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He said Nigeria needed a leader willing to end fuel subsidy and halt monetary recklessness, noting that while the reforms have caused immediate hardship, citizens must decide whether to bear the pain now or pass it on to future generations.
“For once, I call upon Nigerians to come, let’s have this discussion openly and transparently,” he said. “Let’s have sincere, honest and factual analysis of what he met, what he has done, the short‑term impact, and what the possible long‑term implication is for the country.”
Ngogbehei added that TMS supports freedom of speech, expression and peaceful assembly, but also advocates for order and constructive dialogue.
TMS: Reforms Already Showing Signs of Progress
Speaking at the briefing, the National Director of Mobilisation and Data Management of the Foundation, Engr. Ibrahim Said Uba, said the core mandate of TMS is to educate Nigerians on sustainable projects being executed by the administration that will benefit citizens now and in the near future.
He said economic indicators, including GDP performance, show signs of improvement, dismissing claims that the administration abandoned citizens after subsidy removal.
Uba cited ongoing cash‑transfer programmes reaching grassroots communities, the resolution of prolonged strikes in tertiary institutions leading to a stable academic calendar, and the student‑loan scheme with more than 1.5 million beneficiaries.
On food security and national security, he said government has introduced measures to reduce the high cost of food items and supplied military equipment to strengthen security operations, which he said are already yielding results.
Uba challenged opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, to acknowledge that the current administration is implementing reforms that should have been undertaken years ago. He added that road construction projects are ongoing across several states.
The press conference forms part of TMS’s broader effort to promote informed public debate, encourage policy literacy and deepen citizen engagement on Nigeria’s economic and governance reforms.
By PRNigeria
