Pro-Tinubu group urges open debate on reforms, warns against collapse
- A group called Tinubu Must Stay Movement has asked Nigerians to debate the president's reforms openly and factually.
- Its director-general, Marcel Ngogbehei, said tough decisions were needed to avoid a severe financial collapse.
- He cited past warnings about heavy borrowing and called for civil, respectful discussion.
A group loyal to President Bola Tinubu has asked Nigerians to hold a calm, fact-based conversation about the long-term effects of his economic reforms, saying the country faces short-term pain but could face collapse without tough choices.
The Tinubu Must Stay Movement (TMSM) made the call at a press conference, according to its Director-General, Marcel Ngogbehei.
Ngogbehei said the group wants to weigh whether the President's policies were the right moves given the situation he inherited, rather than simply take sides.
"If you say they are the wrong moves, if you were there, what would you do differently?"
He said the movement's aim is to examine what the President met, what he has done, the short-term impact and the possible long-term effects on the country.
Why it matters to ordinary Nigerians
The debate touches on the cost of living, fuel prices, jobs and the value of the naira, which have shaped daily life for millions of Nigerians since the reforms began.
Ngogbehei argued that although the country is going through immediate economic discomfort, hard decisions were needed to prevent a severe financial collapse.
He recalled past warnings about unsustainable government spending, pointing to comments by former Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in 2013 about heavy borrowing and "ways and means" spending.
He said Nigeria needs a bold leader willing to take decisions others avoided, and named the long-delayed policy framework for state policing as one example.
"He's bold enough to take the initiative that most leaders have run away from," he said, adding that some leaders prefer to be "all nice" and leave a country that could collapse in a few years.
Ngogbehei also called for the discussion to stay peaceful and respectful, saying the group supports freedom of speech and assembly but also the maintenance of peace and order.
He said the movement does not want political mudslinging or name-calling.
"Come, let's have a sincere, honest, transparent, and factual analysis," he said.
What happens next
The group is asking Nigerians to join the conversation, with the government's reforms still shaping prices and household budgets across the country.
