President Bola Tinubu has cautioned opposition figures and party loyalists against mistaking online popularity for electoral victory, declaring that “elections are not conducted on social media platforms. Nigerians conduct elections.”
The President also moved to quell internal tensions within the All Progressives Congress (APC), urging Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, to reconcile with Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia in the interest of party unity and stability in the North-Central state.
Tinubu’s message was delivered by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Renewed Hope Ambassadors Strategic Summit held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Highlighting Akume’s political trajectory from Benue’s director of protocol to two-term governor, senator, minister, and now SGF—Tinubu appealed for cohesion amid a deepening rift within the Benue APC.
“Let’s build the area together,” the President urged, drawing applause from party stakeholders.
The crisis in Benue pits Akume’s long-standing political structure against Governor Alia’s reform-driven base, which powered his 2023 electoral victory amid insecurity and economic hardship. Disputes over ward executives, nominations, party suspensions, parallel meetings and House of Assembly loyalties have strained party cohesion, with potential implications for federal-state cooperation on security and development.
Framing his administration’s first phase as one of “difficult but necessary corrections,” Tinubu said structural reforms introduced since 2023 have begun restoring fiscal credibility and stabilising key macroeconomic indicators.
According to him, inflationary pressures are easing, fuel supply disruptions have been addressed, and the naira is strengthening—supported by policy interventions from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“Our economy is picking up. Major investment decisions across Africa increasingly favour Nigeria. That reflects renewed confidence in our direction,” he stated.
The President disclosed that the proposed ₦58.18 trillion 2026 budget would mark a transition “from stabilisation to acceleration,” featuring record capital expenditure, the largest security allocation in Nigeria’s history, and tax reforms designed to protect vulnerable citizens while expanding the revenue base.
Tinubu stressed that reform success depends on public understanding, charging members of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors platform to move beyond conference halls and engage citizens directly in communities, markets and campuses.
This mission is about presence, truth and trust,” he said. “Elections are conducted by Nigerians, not on social media platforms.”
On the legislative front, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, reaffirmed the National Assembly’s support for the administration’s fiscal and economic reforms.
Abbas described subsidy restructuring, fiscal consolidation and tax reforms as foundational to long-term prosperity, while cautioning that policy gaps between government intent and public perception must be bridged through transparency.
He proposed quarterly reform interfaces between federal and APC-controlled state legislatures, alongside a “Renewed Hope Public Dashboard” to publish simplified data on revenues, capital projects and social interventions.
Akume, in his remarks, called on governors to institutionalise Central Results Delivery and Coordination Units at the state level, stressing that governance must move from pronouncements to measurable outcomes.
As the APC positions itself for the next electoral cycle, Tinubu’s dual message economic acceleration and party unity signals a strategic shift from crisis management to political consolidation ahead of 2026.