Oyo-based businessman, grassroots youth mobilizer and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Salako Amekunlooye, has urged Nigerians to pray to God for President Bola Tinubu to succeed in reviving the economy and to recover monies looted by public officers for the greater good of Nigeria.
Amekunlooye, who is also a member of South West Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA), made this fresh call in an interview he had with newsmen on Sunday, June 22, 2025, a week after he addressed an open letter to President Tinubu urging him not to abandon all those who contributed to his electoral victory in 2023.
He added that Nigerians were tired of corruption and as well getting irritated by the behaviours of some political aides of the President who have penchant for blocking party chieftains who are willing to offer valuable and useful information to Mr. President, but preferred to stand as encumbrances to progressive governance with the intent to satisfy their own pecuniary and selfish gains.
The astute and dogged politician also advised that the citizens needed people that would dedicate themselves to the redemption of the country’s socio-economic challenges not lame duck or sycophants.
According to Amekunlooye: “Frankly speaking, the moral obligation of every citizen is to pray for our leaders, similarly all the holy books equally say we should pray for those in authority. President Bola Tinubu and others in power need our prayers. We must join hands, spiritually and socially, in order to restore the glory of this great nation and ensure that President Tinubu succeeds for the greater good of Nigeria.”
“For those who have been following me, recently in my open letter to the President, I pleaded with him not to abandon or ignore those of us who significantly contributed to his electoral victory in 2023. Many of our party leaders in Oyo State and other parts of the country, especially SWAGA, a grassroots support base of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been denied party dividends, recognition, and post-election reward and appointments. The Presidency should try and change the narrative to make our party stronger by rewarding handwork and making APC a formidable political platform that can be consistent in attaining victory, and as well ensure no patriotic members feel cheated or abandoned.
“Nigerians are really tired of corruption and as well getting irritated by disturbing behaviours of some political aides of Mr. President who have a penchant for blocking party chieftains and other patriotic individuals that are willing and ready to offer valuable and useful information to share with Mr. President for the greater good of our nation.
“Unfortunately some sycophants around the President have chosen not to allow patriots and technocrats with good intentions to meet the President and positively influence policies and programmes that can trigger national development and breakthroughs. But it is really worrisome to realise that what we often see is that some political aides prefer to stand as encumbrances to progressive governance with the intention to satisfy their own pecuniary and selfish gains at the expense of the masses. This must stop forthwith.
“Our prayer as citizens must also be concentrated on how this administration can recover monies looted by public officers from previous governments so that gainful socio-economic and political interventions can kick off in the country in the nick of time. Nigeria needs people that would dedicate themselves to the redemption of the country’s socio-economic challenges.
“We need to seriously pray and take decisive and timely actions that can drive good governance to push Nigeria to prosperity and security. For some of us, we have no regret voting and supporting President Tinubu, he is one such unique leader who has a track record and also rich in antecedent; a man who has been tested and he is at the forefront of our democracy. Here is a leader who put in enormous efforts to return this country to democracy when we were under the military junta. We believe in his capacity and as he continues to run the affairs of our nation. However, he needs our consistent prayer so that everything will go on smoothly for him and Nigeria as a whole.
“Agitation does not solve problems; it will only destroy us as a people. Put your knees down. A man who puts his knees down can stand against all powers of failure and error.
Amekunlooye further admonished political office holders to show patriotism to the nation, put their expertise to bear and intentionally support the President to succeed. The APC chieftain as well tasked all political appointees to be God-fearing while in office, adding that they would give an account of their stewardship to their maker, one day.
“Political office holders in this nation must be ready to sacrifice themselves, be selfless and be committed to the revival and redemption of the Nigerian economy, they must also show patriotism to the nation and support Tinubu to succeed. That is what we need this time around, selfless service, not people who are not ready to serve. We are tired of corruption; we are tired of people sapping our economy, we are also worried about failure to reward party loyalty and sacrifices; we need people who are ready now to redeem it. Many politicians come to destroy it. Mr. President should fish them out and sanitize his cabinet and rejig his appointments.
“If President Tinubu has come to restore Nigeria's fortunes and pride with his renewed hope agenda, we therefore need to continue to pray for him so that he can meet all his campaign promises and strengthen our democracy. We understand it is not easy to recover what the previous administrations have destroyed. Recovery is not easy; it needs patience; it needs absolute prayerfulness, commitment, and also trust in God. That is what we need now because Nigeria had been so much destroyed by bad leaders and bad policies of the past.’’
Amekunlooye further called on Nigerians to rededicate themselves to service to t
he nation and to shun avarice.
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