Former Governor of Oyo State and Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Senator Rasheed Ladoja, has expressed confidence in the leadership capacity of President Bola Tinubu, noting that while Nigeria presents far greater challenges than Lagos State, the President understands the task before him.
Ladoja spoke on Friday after a courtesy visit to President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, explaining that the meeting was primarily to thank the President for attending his coronation last September.
“I have been trying to come since September 26 to thank him for finding the time to attend my coronation. I was in Abuja for the Daily Trust Dialogue, so it became an opportunity to come and thank him and also to tell him that we are very happy with what is happening in the country,” Ladoja said.
Responding to questions on President Tinubu’s style of governance, the former governor said the President’s background as a former Lagos State governor has shaped his approach to national leadership.
“If you know where he’s coming from, you know that he knows what he’s doing.
He was able to guide Lagos from where it was to where he left it. Nigeria, however, is more complex than a state because not all of us have the same notion of what we want as a country,” he said.
Ladoja observed that states now have more financial resources than during his time as governor, enabling them to meet obligations more effectively, while expressing optimism that the President’s economic reforms would yield lasting results.
“By and large, the economy has to be fixed, and it is being fixed. We hope that by the time he is leaving office in 2031, Nigeria will be in a position that all of us will be proud of,” he added.
On expectations from the Tinubu administration, Ladoja urged the Federal Government to intensify efforts in addressing food security, healthcare, and insecurity, which he described as the most pressing concern.
“We expect the government to work more on food and health. We should have standard hospitals where we can treat our people. But the major problem we really have now is insecurity.
Farmers find it difficult to go to their farms, and it is already spreading to the South,” he said.
He noted that fear has disrupted farming and daily economic activities across the country but maintained that the challenge could be overcome.
“I don’t think it is insurmountable. By and large, we believe that the President is tackling it correctly now,” Ladoja said
