LAGOS — A former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, has described President Bola Tinubu’s reported second-term ambition as a misplaced priority, warning that Nigeria is currently facing urgent economic and security crises that demand immediate attention.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, Bucknor-Akerele, who served as Tinubu’s deputy between 1999 and 2002, expressed disappointment over what she perceives as the president’s focus on re-election rather than national revival.
“Unfortunately, right now, what I see is that the president is looking for a second term and that seems to be his focus,” she said. “But I think he should try and look at what people like Emeka Anyaoku and so many others of that calibre are doing — trying to fashion something that is going to change Nigeria for the future generations.”
Bucknor-Akerele, now in her 80s and a member of The Patriots — a think-tank led by former Commonwealth Secretary-General Emeka Anyaoku — stressed that Nigeria needs urgent structural reforms, not political manoeuvring.
She urged Tinubu’s advisers to shift his attention away from 2027 and towards reviving the country’s socio-economic structures. “Our priority right now is fashioning something that will be able to make Nigeria great again,” she added.
The former deputy governor also raised concerns about rising youth frustration, warning that widespread unemployment among young Nigerians could lead to unrest if ignored.
“We need full employment for our youths. Many of them are roaming the streets, and some are graduates working as security men. Is that what we want for Nigeria? I don’t think so,” she said.
Bucknor-Akerele warned that ignoring the plight of the younger population could have serious consequences ahead of the 2027 elections. “The power which they [politicians] want, they might not get it, because the youths are now restive. Let us pray that things don’t happen and we end up in a revolution in this country,” she cautioned.
