Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has expressed confidence in President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, insisting that Nigerians are on the verge of experiencing its full benefits, even as he dismissed opposition forces ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day South-South zonal summit of the APC Renewed Hope Ambassadors (RHAs) in Asaba, Uzodimma said the country was already showing signs of recovery and urged party stakeholders to intensify grassroots engagement to bridge the gap between government policies and public perception.
“The gains of reforms are permanent but the pains are temporary, Nigeria is turning the corner, we are exiting the woods, the fruit of these reforms will soon begin to trickle in. In fact, some are already in. Food prices are gradually stabilising, the naira is gaining strength, inflation trending downwards”, he said.
“The people must not despair, not now that we are close to reaping the benefits of our resilience and sacrifice. This is where you come in as RHAs’, he added.
Uzodimma acknowledged that while macroeconomic indicators are improving, many Nigerians are yet to feel the impact at the grassroots level. According to him, “there is a disconnect between the elite and the grassroots,” explaining that although “the economy is being restructured, foundations rebuilt,” ordinary citizens are still adjusting to the reforms.
He traced Nigeria’s past economic challenges to years of structural inefficiencies.
“For decades, the country ran on subsidy, multiple exchange rates that benefited only a few, a power sector that consumed revenue without delivering power, and a revenue system that was so distorted that states could not plan”, he stated.
“But President Tinubu came and said it is enough, we will fix the system, this is no propaganda. Tinubu’s achievement speaks volume. These are facts – the results of bold transformative reforms.”
The governor charged members of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors to take government policies to the grassroots.
“We must help Nigerians understand that this pain is temporary. You are advocates of prosperity, representatives of the federal government”, the governor urged.
He further described them as “the interpreters of this vision, the translators of policy into everyday language, the bridge between government performance and citizens’ awareness.”
On the political outlook, Uzodimma expressed confidence in the ruling party’s chances ahead of the 2027 elections, declaring, “Our task as RHAs and, indeed, as the ruling APC is not just to work for the re-election of the president; of course, Tinubu will be re-elected. The opposition has nothing to offer, it has no alternative vision.”
Also speaking, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori described the summit as “a strategic platform to strengthen party structures and deepen grassroots mobilisation in the South-South region,” warning that “fragmented messaging will weaken the party’s impact and create opportunities for opposition forces.”
He urged party members to intensify mobilisation, deliver the message to their people and defend their reforms.
Former Delta governor Ifeanyi Okowa noted that the summit was aimed at equipping participants with the tools to communicate government policies effectively, while acknowledging that a communication gap has limited public understanding of the reforms.
Participants at the summit were drawn from Delta, Edo, Bayelsa, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Rivers States.
