President Bola Tinubu has received praise from Zainab Duke-Abiola, the late Chief MKO Abiola’s wife, for his economic reforms that have led to the repayment of $3.4 billion debt owed to the International Monetary Fund.
Duke-Abiola said the milestone had spurred celebrations and rekindled hope in Nigeria’s economic future in a statement she signed on Friday.
“The repayment is not a fluke; it is the outcome of careful strategic planning and unwavering commitment to improving Nigeria’s socio-economic rating globally,” Duke-Abiola said.
She described the development as a historic milestone, attributing it to President Tinubu’s visionary leadership, meticulous economic management, and commitment to sustainable growth and development.
By repaying the debt, Duke-Abiola believed President Tinubu has restored hope and ameliorated the doldrums, ultimately freeing Nigeria from “Neo-colonial shackles.
“The toga of indebtedness to IMF has been removed just like Singapore and Switzerland, which hold some of the strongest passports in the world.
” Nigeria is truly free from Neo-colonial shackles. We are free at last,” she added.
Duke-Abiola noted that under President Tinubu, Nigeria has fully repaid a debt that stood at $1.61 billion when he assumed office in 2023, reduced it to $1.37 billion by Jan. 5, 2024; $933.03 million by July 10, 2024; and $472.06 million by Jan. 8, 2025, before being completely settled in May 2025.
She underlined that President Tinubu’s leadership is producing outcomes and paving the way for a new age of improved social service delivery, infrastructure development, and fiscal responsibility.
“President Tinubu’s leadership is yielding results. Nigeria is not just settling debts but setting the pace for a new era of fiscal responsibility, infrastructural development and better social service delivery,” she said.
Duke-Abiola also reflected on her own experience in the general elections of 2023.
According to her, during the last elections when I was mobilising nationwide voters for President Tinubu, some people were angry and decided to get a former orderly to frame me that I asked a cook to assault an orderly.
‘ I thank God for my complete vindication and exoneration,” she added.
She expressed admiration for President Tinubu, saying, “the world should watch out because Tinubu is a President poised to surpass Donald Trump of the U.S. in international negotiations and surpass Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso.
”I know all this because I have known his patriotic mindset for over 30 years.”
Duke-Abiola advised Nigerians not to overheat the polity, adding that President Tinubu came prepared as an “Angel of Restoration”.
