Former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to seek re-election in 2027, arguing that his administration has failed to address Nigeria’s pressing challenges and has instead worsened the country’s situation over the past three years.
Speaking during an appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television on Monday, Oritsejafor said Nigerians have experienced increasing hardship under the current administration and that the government has not delivered the expected progress.
According to him, the country appears to be moving backward rather than forward, with existing problems remaining unresolved while new ones continue to emerge.
“When you look at the condition of this nation today, instead of going forward, we seem to be going backwards. Instead of solving our problems, we seem to be creating more problems. The government of Mr President has done more harm to this nation than this nation has ever experienced,” he said.
The cleric advised the president to acknowledge the limitations of his administration and allow more capable individuals to take over the responsibility of steering the country in a better direction.
“I would say to him, don’t pretend to know what to do when you don’t know what to do. Don’t pretend that you can take Nigeria out of where it is now when you know you can’t, and then begin to plan to come back,” he stated.
Oritsejafor also criticised the administration’s “Renewed Hope” slogan, arguing that many Nigerians have lost faith due to worsening economic conditions and declining living standards.
“I heard people saying renewed hope. You must have hope first before you renew it. An average Nigerian today has no hope, except you say you look up to God to give you hope,” he said.
He maintained that President Tinubu should not contemplate another term in office, insisting that the administration has already demonstrated the best it can offer Nigerians.
“One thing I can say categorically is that he should not begin to dream of coming back to continue this same mess. I don’t think he can do better than this. This is the best he can do,” he added.
Commenting on the recent governorship and off-cycle election victories recorded by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Oritsejafor questioned the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process, describing many elections in the country as predetermined.
According to him, elections in Nigeria are often more of a “selection” than a genuine democratic contest, alleging that the votes of ordinary Nigerians rarely determine the final outcome.
“The truth is that elections in Nigeria are not free and fair. I will call them fake elections. In fact, I will even go as far as calling it selection, not election,” he said.
He argued that the electoral system, from the national level down to local structures, is designed in a way that undermines the will of voters.
“The vote of the average Nigerian doesn’t count because they already know and have figured out exactly what they are going to do. They know whom they want to win,” he alleged.
Reiterating his criticism of the administration, Oritsejafor said that if given the opportunity to meet President Tinubu personally, he would tell him that his government has failed Nigerians and should either step aside or avoid contesting another election.
“If I meet with him today, I would say, Mr President, you have failed. You have not done well at all. So right now, do what you know you must do — either step aside, do not stand for another election, or look for people who have the capacity to bring change to Nigeria,” he said.
The former CAN president also called on religious leaders and the church to continue speaking truth to those in authority, stressing that leaders should be held accountable for the welfare of citizens.
He further advocated policies that would require public office holders to rely on Nigerian institutions rather than seeking medical treatment abroad or sending their children to foreign schools.
“There should be laws barring anybody in government from going abroad to seek treatment or sending their families abroad for schooling. Maybe doing so will motivate them to do better,” he said.
Oritsejafor accused political leaders of living comfortably while asking citizens to endure hardship, arguing that such a disconnect contributes to poor governance and weak accountability.
“Leaders in Nigeria live different lives from the ones they ask ordinary people to live. People in power are living large,” he concluded.