Uzodimma Likens Tinubu to Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew, Backs 2027 Re-election

Uzodimma Likens Tinubu to Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew, Backs 2027 Re-election

Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma has likened President Bola Tinubu to Singapore's founding Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, saying the Nigerian leader's sweeping economic reforms have laid the foundation for long-term national development and deserve a second term in office.

Uzodimma made the remarks on Friday during a state dinner at the Imo Government House, marking the conclusion of a three-day media inspection tour organised by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors in collaboration with the Presidential Communications Team.

According to a statement issued on Saturday by Tunde Rahman, Director of Media and Publicity of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, the governor said Tinubu assumed office with a clear understanding of Nigeria's economic challenges and immediately embarked on difficult but necessary reforms.

"In President Bola Tinubu, we have another Lee Kuan Yew," Uzodimma said.

He argued that the administration had ushered in a new economic era, insisting that the country's previous economic model was no longer sustainable.

"The old order is gone and there is now a new order. President Tinubu knew exactly what he came to do. He started implementing the reforms immediately because he understood the task before him," he said.

Drawing a biblical analogy, the governor compared Nigeria's pre-reform economic situation to the Israelites' bondage in Egypt, saying the hardship associated with the reforms was a necessary phase in the country's journey towards economic recovery.

Uzodimma maintained that although the reforms initially imposed economic pain on Nigerians, they were beginning to produce tangible benefits, particularly through increased revenues accruing to states.

He said the improved fiscal position had enabled the Imo State Government to invest in infrastructure, healthcare, education, technology and other sectors.

"Everything we are doing in Imo today is made possible because of the Renewed Hope Agenda. We are pursuing sustainable development, investing in infrastructure, healthcare, education and technology because the reforms have created the enabling environment for development," he said.

The governor expressed confidence that Nigerians would renew Tinubu's mandate in the 2027 presidential election as the gains of the administration's policies become more evident.

Also speaking, Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, commended the Imo State Government for what he described as significant infrastructure development across the state.

Dare said the projects showcased the impact of the Renewed Hope Agenda through collaboration between the Federal Government and the Imo State Government.

Among the projects inspected during the media tour were the Imo Digital City, the 2,000-bed Infectious Disease Centre, the Heart Transplant Centre in Orlu, the University of Innovation, Science and Technology in Omuma, the expanded Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Convention Centre, and the Orlu–Akokwa–Uga Border Road.

The three-day inspection tour was attended by more than 40 senior editors and journalists and was organised by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors in conjunction with the Presidential Communications Team.