***Defends subsidy removal, warns against policy reversal
***Charges City Boy Movement to mobilise young 𝙽𝚒𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚜

President Bola Tinubu has framed his 2027 re-election bid as a battle over the future of Nigerian youths, urging them to defend his administration’s economic reforms and reject any attempt to return the country to the policies he said had become unsustainable.

Addressing members of the City Boy 𝙼𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚊𝚗𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚝 𝙷𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙿𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝚅𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚊 𝙰𝚋𝚞𝚓𝚊, on Monday, the President insisted that Nigeria could not afford to reverse the removal of petrol subsidy, arguing that the country must press ahead with reforms despite the difficulties they have imposed on citizens.

𝙹𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚅𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝙿𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝙺𝚊𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚖 𝚂𝚑𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚊 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝙰𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚕𝚢, Tinubu urged the youth-led political mobilisation group to take his administration’s message to campuses, markets and communities, presenting the coming election as a contest over the economic direction of the country and the opportunities available to younger Nigerians.

“You are not campaigning for me. You are campaigning for your own future, and that future is Renewed Hope,” he told the gathering.

The President said his administration had taken difficult decisions since assuming office in 2023, recalling the economic challenges that confronted the country, including mounting financial obligations, pressure on foreign reserves and difficulties in meeting some payment commitments.

According to him, the decision to remove petrol subsidy was part of a broader effort to address structural weaknesses in the economy and prevent the country from continuing along what he considered an unsustainable fiscal path.

Tinubu maintained that Nigeria could not build lasting prosperity by relying on borrowing while postponing difficult economic decisions.

“We understood that a nation cannot borrow its way to greatness,” he said.

The President cautioned against proposals to restore the subsidy regime, insisting that Nigeria must not return to the previous arrangement after taking steps to change its economic direction.

He invoked the need for perseverance through difficult transitions, arguing that the country should remain focused on moving forward rather than reversing reforms.

His remarks came amid continuing public debate over the effects of subsidy removal, including higher living and transport costs, and the wider question of how the benefits of economic reforms can translate into improved living conditions for Nigerians.

Tinubu acknowledged that the journey had not been easy but commended young Nigerians who, he said, had defended his administration and its policies on campuses, in motor parks and on social media, even when doing so was unpopular.

“I saw it. I noticed, and I will never forget it,” he said.

Turning to the City Boy Movement, the President praised its organisers for developing a political structure with a presence across states, local governments and wards, describing its activities as more than public rallies and demonstrations.

“That is not noise. That is organisation,” he said.

Tinubu urged the group to sustain its engagement with young people and explain the administration’s record as well as its plans for the future, expressing confidence that its grassroots network could help communicate his message ahead of the 2027 election.

He also promised that young Nigerians would have a greater role in governance, citing the student loan programme and initiatives aimed at developing technical skills as examples of efforts to expand opportunities.

“I have trusted those people with real responsibility in this government. I have watched them deliver. I intend to do more,” he said.

The President said young people had the greatest stake in decisions being taken today because they would live longest with their consequences.

“The future of this country does not belong to me. It does not belong to my generation. It belongs to you,” he said.

He assured members of the movement that they would not be excluded from his political project or the country’s development, declaring: “You will not be left behind. Not in this campaign. Not in this government, not in Nigeria.”

Tinubu charged the youths to take the administration’s message to their campuses, markets and villages, urging them to explain what the government had done and what it intended to accomplish.

The President’s remarks place youth mobilisation and the defence of his economic policies at the centre of his emerging campaign narrative ahead of the 2027 general election.

By linking his re-election bid to the aspirations of younger Nigerians, Tinubu sought to portray the election not merely as a contest for political office but as a decision about whether the country should continue with his administration’s reform programme.

“Nigeria is a promise, and it belongs to you,” he said.