–         Explains difficult decision to appoint known critic as minister

–         Appreciates Nigerians for 73rd birthday greetings 

Deji Elumoye in Abuja 

President Bola Tinubu has disclosed that he contemplated withdrawing from the last presidential race in 2023 due to the economic uncertainty in the country then.

Reflecting on his political journey on Saturday night at a special Iftar held in his honour at the State House, Abuja, the President recounted a moment of doubt during the 2023 election campaign when he contemplated withdrawing from the race after an encounter with a close relative.

According to him: “Those close to me know that the odds were against me. During the campaigns, one of them came to my living room around 3:30 a.m. and said he needed just N50,000 to buy foodstuff for our uncle.

“He told me the currency is gone because of you. People are jumping over bank counters because there is no cash. Our uncle, a wealthy man, doesn’t even have N10,000 in cash. What are you running for?”

“I told him, I am running for President, not for you and our uncle. I gave him the N50,000. As he walked out, he turned to me and said, ‘I don’t think you will make it.’ I replied, ‘I will make it.’”

President Tinubu disclosed that his uncle later called to confirm receiving the money but admitted that he had only given the messenger N10,000, keeping the rest.

“I was amazed. At that moment, I almost dropped the idea of running for President. But thanks to Aminu Masari and all of you who encouraged me. When I came to Abuja, Masari told me, ‘I am the Chairman of the North West Group; don’t look back’,” he said.

The President noted that he assumed office during a time of economic uncertainty and had to make immediate, difficult decisions, including removing the fuel subsidy.

“On the day of my inauguration, I had to decide on something not originally in my speech, and that was the fuel subsidy removal,” he said, noting that Nigeria had reached a point of no return on the issue.

President Tinubu said: “The hallmark of a great leader is the ability to make the right decision at the right time. That was the day I declared that the subsidy was gone. The following day, I was hounded and thoroughly abused in the media. But I stood firm, knowing it was the right thing to do for our nation’s future.”

President Tinubu also expressed deep appreciation to Nigerians for their outpouring of goodwill and prayers as he marked his 73rd birthday.

The president thanked guests for their presence, prayers, and contributions to the nation’s development.

Acknowledging the challenges he faced on his path to the presidency, Tinubu reaffirmed his commitment to advancing Nigeria’s progress.

The president also said his decision to appoint Dr Bosun Tijani as Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, despite his past criticism, was a testament to his belief in recognising talent, even in those who may have once been critics.

In his remarks, the minister shared his personal experience of being appointed by President Tinubu despite his past activism and criticism of the president and the national assembly.

His words: “Before my appointment, I had never met Mr. President. But after my confirmation, he told me, ‘I have looked at your records and activism, and I have seen there is something in you. I am giving you the opportunity to represent your country and contribute to making it a better place.

“I was expecting a proper scolding because of my records, but the magnanimity of the president is one that I experienced for the very first time in my life.

“I remember that in that meeting, some people brought out my record again and told Mr. President, ‘He said this, he did this. But the President said, ‘Shut it’.”

Responding to the minister’s remarks, President Tinubu confirmed that nominating Tijani as a minister was a difficult decision, given the reservations of his close associates.

“When I picked him, it was tough. My very close confidantes, who had read his comments on social media, came to me and said, ‘No, never.’ I said, ‘Yes, he is talented. Because he criticises me and pours abuses on the parliament, it does not mean he has nothing to offer.

“Maybe his frustration at that time will drive him to contribute more to governance. And today, he is doing that, and I am very proud of him,” the president stated.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio praised the president’s ability to forgive his critics, recalling the intense debate that preceded Tijani’s confirmation as a minister.

“When he came to the Senate for screening, senators said, ‘No, no, we can’t have him.’ One senator quoted from the internet where he described all Nigerian senators as ‘morons.’

“I had to stop proceedings and ask Bosun, ‘Did you write this?’ And he admitted, ‘Sir, I did because that was how I felt then.’ So, I asked him, ‘And you have the audacity to stand before us and expect us to confirm you?’”

The senate president noted that what ultimately swayed the lawmakers was their trust in President Tinubu’s judgment.

“Mr. President, we confirmed him because we knew you must have seen something special in him. You are never wrong when it comes to your judgment of people.

“I went into an executive session and told my colleagues, let us give this young man an opportunity and see what happens. And today, I am happy to say that he is one of the best-performing ministers in the cabinet,” Akpabio said.

The gathering included the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and his wife, Nana Shettima, members of the Federal Executive Council, principal officers of the National Assembly, current and former governors, diplomats, business leaders, religious figures, and some of the President’s childhood friends.

Dr. Abdulkadir Salman Sholagberu, Imam of the National Mosque, Abuja, led special prayers seeking divine guidance and continued progress for the President and the nation.

Earlier, Vice President Kashim Shettima lauded the president’s sacrifices, stating that history will remember him as the leader who took on the nation’s most complex challenges.

He said: “Thanks to his boldness, future presidents of Nigeria will not have to wrestle with the same ghosts that haunted past administrations, including fraud-ridden fuel subsidies, an unstable forex market, and the suppression of local government autonomy.

“These were the thorny issues that many before him sidestepped. But Asiwaju did not sidestep history; he came to rewrite it.

“And in rewriting it, Asiwaju has taken the bullets that many before him simply lacked the courage to face. But that is the thing about true leadership: it is not for those who seek comfort. It is for those who understand that the path to national greatness is lined with difficult choices”.

Also speaking, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Benjamin Kalu, described President Tinubu as a leader who has broken barriers and uplifted future Nigerian politicians.

He noted that the President had taken a backseat to raising leaders for decades.

“Today, he is at the forefront because Nigeria needs him. In 2019, despite not being from his region, he supported me in my most difficult political moment. Nigeria needs leaders who rise above tribal considerations, and he has demonstrated that,” he said.

Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State commended the President’s decisive leadership at a time when Nigeria needed stability.

“Only a leader with deep conviction and love for the country could have taken the bold and yet necessary decisions that averted national collapse and now restoring hope and confidence across the federation,” he said.

A childhood friend of the President, Prof. Shaffideen Adeniyi Amuwo reminisced about their early years and how divine providence led Tinubu to the presidency.

According to him: “Our relationship did not just start in Chicago; we played soccer together as children. While I chose the library, my brother chose politics because he loved to speak. Today, Allah has shown His greatness by guiding him to lead Nigeria.

“The city of Chicago, founded by a Black man, has educated the man who now leads the most populous Black nation on earth. I pray that Allah continues to hold his hand and guide him as he works to save our country”.

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