President Bola Tinubu on Thursday dismissed the growing opposition coalition against his administration, saying he would not be intimidated by what he described as a political gang-up ahead of the 2027 elections. The president spoke in Abuja while hosting the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, a support group set up to promote his administration’s reforms and policies across the country.
“They want to scare me off; it is a lie,” Tinubu said, according to multiple reports of the event. “I’ve been through this path before, and if I have to come back over and over and over again, I’ll do the same thing.” He also took a swipe at what he called “the rascality of a street convention,” in an apparent reference to recent opposition political gatherings, including those linked to the African Democratic Congress.
The president urged opposition parties to respect democratic institutions and comply with judicial rulings, saying political actors must submit to the rule of law whether court decisions favour them or not. “We cannot submit to disobedience of a lawful order of the court. We must embrace the judiciary, whether it favours us or not,” he said. Tinubu added that democracy, separation of powers and national unity remained central to his administration’s message.
He also used the occasion to defend his handling of the economy, acknowledging the difficulty of reforms but insisting they were necessary. Tinubu said he had chosen to confront inherited economic problems directly rather than avoid them, and assured supporters that they would not regret standing with him. He told the Renewed Hope Ambassadors to continue taking the government’s message to Nigerians and to help sustain public belief in his reform agenda.
Without naming specific rivals directly, Tinubu appeared to make veiled references to some opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, while defending his own political record and attacking the credibility of his challengers. The remarks came amid intensifying opposition efforts to build a united front under the ADC and other platforms ahead of the next general election.
Several ruling party figures at the event echoed the president’s message. Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma said the Renewed Hope Ambassadors were meant to explain Tinubu’s policies at the grassroots, while former Katsina State governor Aminu Bello Masari argued that reform-minded leadership inevitably attracts resistance. Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani also said the North-West must do more to secure victory for Tinubu and the APC in 2027.
