First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has described her years in the Senate as “really, really good,” comments that many interpreted as a subtle criticism of the current 10th National Assembly.
Mrs. Tinubu made the remarks on Saturday at the flag‑off ceremony for the distribution of farm inputs at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport in Minna, Niger State. She thanked former Senate colleagues who now serve in the Federal Executive Council, including the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abdullahi Sabi; the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Malagi; and the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Enoh.
“It is always a pleasure to see my former colleagues. That was when the Senate was really, really good,” she said.
Mrs. Tinubu, who served in the Senate from 2015 to 2023 representing Lagos State, did not elaborate on the remark. However, several political analysts who spoke with Arewa PUNCH interpreted it as a comparison between her period in the upper chamber and the present legislature.
Dr Edmund Nwagbo, a sociologist at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, said the First Lady’s comment carried implicit criticism of the 10th Assembly. “The First Lady’s comment on her time in the upper legislative chamber is very powerful and buried with a lot of meanings,” he said. “She was trying to say that the present Senate is nothing compared to the Senate then. To a large extent, I agree. What we have presently is a mockery of democracy. The Senate is supposed to be a check on the Executive, but what do we call a Senate today where every request sent by the Executive gets express passage? It is nothing short of a rubber‑stamp Senate.”
Maureen Mammam, Executive Director of the Nigerian Open Society for Good Governance, Niger State chapter, echoed the critique. “The First Lady was simply honest in her assertion,” she said. “Nigerian democracy has nosedived. We now have politicians who put self‑interest before the country. The level of corruption is enough to drive anybody crazy. The Senate of this 10th Assembly is the worst.”
At the event, Mrs. Tinubu praised Niger State for its progress in agricultural development, saying the programme signalled a “deliberate transition from subsistence farming to modern, mechanised, and commercially viable agriculture.” She said distribution of inputs would help farmers increase productivity and improve livelihoods.
Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago outlined the state’s mechanisation efforts, saying the flag‑off included deployment of 250 tractors (75 horsepower each), 50 harvesters and the distribution of 150,000 bags of fertiliser to boost yields and reduce post‑harvest losses. “We have made significant progress across the agricultural value chain since the launch of this initiative in March 2024 with Mr. President,” he said, adding that the state’s efforts align with the federal Renewed Hope Agricultural and Food Security Programme.
All Progressives Congress National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda, who attended the ceremony, said the proposed Sokoto‑Badagry road project would incorporate about 200 mini dams to support irrigation and boost agricultural productivity, with many of the dams expected to be sited in Niger State.
The event drew mixed reactions from attendees, reflecting wider debate about the performance of the current National Assembly and the state of Nigerian democracy.
