Ibadan-born two-time gubernatorial aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Akeem Agbaje, has predicted that President Bola Tinubu will win the 2027 presidential election, citing the administration’s rapid economic reforms and restructuring efforts.
Agbaje, a prominent legal practitioner and businessman, made the remark on Tuesday during an interview with New Telegraph in Ibadan.
Still nursing the ambition to occupy the Agodi Government House in 2027, he maintained that while the full impact of Tinubu’s reforms might not yet be visible, their long-term benefits will soon materialize in favour of the Nigerian masses.
“President Tinubu understands the economy and is working hard to reposition it. There are a lot of distortions in our economy — profiteers and middlemen who benefit from inefficiencies. For example, the fuel subsidy was a huge burden. Initially, fuel rose to about N1,600 per litre, but it’s coming down due to global oil price shifts and local reforms,” Agbaje said.
He emphasized that scrapping the fuel subsidy and withdrawing the foreign exchange subsidy were critical steps in ending systemic corruption and promoting transparency.
“Before now, some people would get forex at official rates and sell at black market rates to make easy millions. But now, the gap between the black market and official exchange rates has narrowed. This boosts investor confidence. Today, if someone brings in $10 million, he’s confident he can retrieve most of it without losses caused by underhand practices,” he said.
Agbaje also noted that stabilizing key sectors and empowering institutions like the NNPC with professionals instead of politicians has strengthened the economy.
“President Tinubu removed political influence from the NNPC board — how many governments can do that? It’s easy to build from scratch, but repairing a damaged economy is far more difficult,” he added.
On Tinubu’s chances in 2027, Agbaje said: “I am confident he will win. Food prices are gradually coming down — a bag of rice that was over N80,000 is now in the N50,000 range. Petrol prices are stabilizing. As his tax reforms and other policies begin to yield results, Nigerians will see that he is working. The loudest critics are the opposition who must say something, but the real change is on the ground.”
