Why Tinubu will remain unpopular - Shehu Sani

A former lawmaker who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th National Assembly, Senator Shehu Sani, has explained why President Bola Tinubu is unpopular among the vast majority of Nigerians and why he may remain so.

Sani made this known while commenting on the state of the nation during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, April 17, 2025.

The rights activist said Tinubu has embarked on reforms whose immediate effects have brought untold hardship on the people, noting that he would remain unpopular until those policies start producing positive results.

Highlighting the tolerant disposition of the current administration to criticisms, Sani observed that, unlike his predecessor, former President Muhammadu Buhari, Tinubu has received criticism from his South-West region, which represents a new standard in Nigerian politics.

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He recalled the backlash he received from his northern colleagues when he spoke out against insecurity in the region during his time in the upper legislative chamber.

“When I stood up in the parliament to speak about the insecurity in the north, I faced serious resistance from senators from northern part of Nigeria," Sani recounted.

“You were expected to be quiet and embrace whatever it is because the president came from your region.

“Any attempt by you to raise alarm on the killings in the north or poverty in the north or the out-of-school children issue when Buhari was there, you would be reminded that you should not damage the image of the president because you come from that part of the country."

He stressed that President Tinubu was aware of the consequences his projects would have in the immediate term, but he chose to prioritise the country's future, which exposed him to losing some popularity among the people.

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“Tinubu is embarking on a project he knows very well he will be unpopular. You either do two things: please people by doing what the people want, or to look at the future of the country where we are heading to and lose some popularity or votes for you to achieve it. Tinubu will continue to be unpopular until the results of the reform start coming out,” he stated.