Fred Itua writes that Governor Monday Okpebholo is leaving no stone unturned in the onerous task of turning Edo state around for the better as evidenced in his replicating President Bola Tinubu’s transformative leadership in the state.
In the evolving trajectory of Nigeria’s democratic experiment, President Bola Tinubu has emerged as a paradigmatic figure—an architect of reforms, whose stewardship signals a recalibration of statecraft rooted in realism, resilience, and results. His ascension to the presidency came at a critical juncture when the nation was teetering on the brink of economic collapse and institutional inertia, beset by decades of policy inconsistencies, fiscal over-reach, and leadership anaemia.
Rather than capitulate to the comfort of populist appeasement, President Tinubu confronted Nigeria’s structural dysfunctions with a set of bold, if initially unpopular, reforms. His removal of the petrol subsidy—a longstanding fiscal sinkhole—alongside the liberalization of the foreign exchange regime, marked a definitive departure from cosmetic governance toward deep institutional recalibration. These decisions, though painful in the short term, underscore a commitment to long-range national interest over transient political expediency.