President Bola Tinubu says he is not losing sleep over criticisms made against him by Nigerians. Mr Tinubu also blamed former presidents for the perennial power problem

At a meeting with political stakeholders in Enugu, led by Governor Peter Mbah, Mr Tinubu dismissed critics who berated his government.

“Democracy will survive despite all intimidation. Ignore the naysayers. Stay focused. When you succeed, and they are angry, let them be. I do not lose sleep over criticism because we are committed to building a nation of bright hope for our children,” Mr Tinubu said.

He added, “We have leaders who have privatised electricity that is not working. They gave us darkness, and we are trying to get ourselves through that to build a nation of bright hope and joyful people, leaving our children with a life worthy of pride. But, they don’t even believe in the democracy they preach; don’t pay attention to them.”

Mr Tinubu thanked the delegation for their support. He noted that testimonies of growth and infrastructural development from many states further validate the impact of his administration’s economic reforms.

The president commended governors for effectively utilising resources released to sub-nationals, resulting in meaningful improvements in health, education, infrastructure, and citizens’ welfare.

He observed that the political realignment favouring the governing APC has been largely driven by the outcome of economic reforms, adding that Mr Mbah aligned with the APC following sustained federal support for Enugu.

“You have been a transformative leader, and we genuinely appreciate what is evolving in Enugu today in a manner that we are witnessing a rapid development of the state.

“The results you are outlining, like security, infrastructure, education and health care, are not abstract. They are the evidence that reform is working, that difficult decisions are yielding real outcomes and that Nigeria is moving forward.

“I can assure you we will continue to work together, think together and build together a nation that will be a pride of place for all our citizens.

“On the matter you’ve raised the railway line from Port-Harcourt court to Enugu, the power sector reforms and the infrastructure—this is the backbone of economic development. We will do more,’’ he said.

Mr Tinubu said the previous challenge of funding long-term projects with short-term funds had been overcome with the release of additional funds to states to plan and implement developmental goals.