Former Lagos State Governor and ex-Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has said he prefers offering private counsel to President Bola Tinubu rather than publicly criticising or advising his administration on television.
Speaking during an interview on TVC News, Fashola revealed that Tinubu personally reaches out to him for advice on areas the administration should improve as preparations begin for the 2027 general elections.
According to him, maintaining a direct and private communication channel with the President is more effective than discussing governance issues in the media.
“If the President calls me today and asks me to identify one area his administration should improve before 2027, should I respond to him on television? I’ve decided I won’t do that,” Fashola said.
The former minister noted that he already has direct access to the President and has offered recommendations on several issues behind closed doors.
“I have his ears, and whenever I need to see him, I do. I’ve advised him on a few things, and I believe that line of communication should remain open. It is not my intention to advise him on television,” he added.
Responding to suggestions that the administration may have blind spots after three years in office, Fashola dismissed the claim, insisting that public criticism was unnecessary because he could communicate directly with the President.
“You can’t be shouting at someone whose ear you already have,” he remarked.
Fashola also ruled out any ambition to contest Nigeria’s presidency, saying he had no interest in seeking the nation’s highest office.
When asked if he planned to run for president, he replied jokingly, “President of what? I’m already president at home.”
Reflecting on his more than two decades in public service, Fashola described his career as an extraordinary privilege and expressed hope that his journey would inspire younger Nigerians to pursue public service.
He also declined to revisit speculation over his preferred successor during the 2015 Lagos governorship race, while affirming that he remains a member of the Lagos State Governance Advisory Council. According to him, there is a clear distinction between offering advice and interfering in government affairs.
