President Bola Tinubu has likened the weight of leadership to living in a prison, admitting that his position cuts him off from the realities and information accessible to ordinary Nigerians.
The president made the rare confession while receiving disciples of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, who visited him to thank him for his support during the former leader’s burial.
Among those in attendance was former House of Representatives member and staunch Buhari loyalist, Farouk Adamu Aliyu, who has now aligned himself with Tinubu. Speaking later on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Aliyu revealed the president’s striking remarks when asked about his handling of security challenges in Northern Nigeria.
Tinubu’s candid words
“Look, I know there are a lot of issues, some I know, some I don’t know,” Aliyu quoted Tinubu as saying.
“Honourable, this place I’m sitting is a prison. I want you to understand, there are certain things you will not know. I pitied him. Look, it is true when you are a president, there are certain things you don’t know and every problem of this country is put on the president.”
Aliyu said the statement underscored Tinubu’s acknowledgement of the crushing pressures of office, noting that not all information reaches the president despite the public expectation that he must have all the answers.
Buhari camp admits 2015 propaganda
In a surprising admission, Aliyu also conceded that the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign in 2015 deployed false narratives against then-President Goodluck Jonathan.
“Now let me concede, there are certain things we attributed to Jonathan which were not correct. Now I realise that it’s true—when you’re in that office, there are certain exigencies that come with the work, so you need to tread softly,” he said.
Boast on revenue target
Beyond the “prison” metaphor, Tinubu also struck a confident note, boasting that his administration had already met the 2025 revenue target. He urged Buhari’s loyalists to stay committed, insisting that his government had set Nigeria on the right path and that the country was “turning the corner.”
For analysts, Tinubu’s unusual prison analogy offers a rare glimpse into the isolation of the presidency—even as he tries to project optimism about the nation’s economic direction.
