BY AHMED AKANBI
Former President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, has said the 2027 general elections will be a defining moment for Nigeria’s future, urging Nigerians to ensure continuity under President Bola Tinubu.
In his Independence Day message to mark Nigeria’s 66th Anniversary on Thursday, Lawan said the country needs continuity, not reversal, to turn ongoing reforms into prosperity.
”Sixty-six years ago today, our green-white-green flag was hoisted for the first time. On this Independence Day, I want to say to every Nigerian that our journey has not been easy, but we have never stopped moving forward,” he said.
Lawan noted that the founding fathers fought for a promise that Nigerians would have the right to shape their own destiny and build a nation capable of offering opportunity, dignity and better life, a promise that remains a shared responsibility 66 years later.
He said in the past few years, Nigeria has taken difficult steps out of a troubled past by confronting its problems rather than avoiding them, choosing treatment over painkillers.
”Today, the economy is recovering, our foreign reserves have been rebuilt, oil theft has dropped significantly, and non-oil exports have hit record highs. These are real progress. We stand at the turning point from reform to prosperity,” Lawan stated.
The former Senate President said at this critical moment, Nigerians must keep working with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to turn the foundations laid into prosperity that every family can feel.
He said the All Progressives Congress (APC) is doing exactly that and should be allowed to continue beyond 2027.
”The 2027 elections are about whether we are willing to stay on the right path we have started. Let us use our votes to protect the gains we have made so far. Let us use our votes to tell those who would drag us back to the past that we will not go back,” Lawan said.
He described Nigeria’s diversity as its strength and unity as its foundation, calling on every Nigerian to keep faith, stay engaged and keep loving the country.
”A better Nigeria will not come by waiting. We must build it together,” he added, wishing the nation a happy 66th Independence Anniversary.