From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has revealed that he almost abandoned his 2023 presidential bid due to personal doubts and external pressures. He made the revelation at a special Iftar to his 73rd birthday at the Presidential Villa.
In a statement by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu recounted a pivotal moment during the campaign when a relative visited him late at night, criticising his candidacy amid the cash scarcity affecting Nigerians. The relatives questioned why he was running for president when even their wealthy uncle struggled to access cash. Despite providing financial aid, the relative expressed skepticism about Tinubu’s chances, saying, “I don’t think you will make it.”
This encounter deeply affected Tinubu, causing him to reconsider his ambition. However, encouragement from allies like Aminu Masari reignited his resolve. Masari urged him to stay focused, declaring, “Don’t look back.”
Reflecting on the challenges, Tinubu acknowledged the difficult decisions he faced upon assuming office, including removing the fuel subsidy on his inauguration day, a move he described as essential for Nigeria’s future despite public criticism.
“Those close to me know that the odds were against me. During the campaigns, one of them came to my living room around 3:30am 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 N50,000. As he walked out, he turned to me and said, I don’t think you will make it. “I told him I would make it.”
The President 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.
President Tinubu 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, the President 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,” he said.
Vice President Kashim Shettima lauded the President’s sacrifices, stating that history would remember him as the leader who took on the nation’s most complex challenges.
“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,” he said.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, praised the President’s ability to forgive and his relentless passion for national development.
Akpabio described the President as a leader who thinks outside the box and as the most audacious president in the country’s history.
He said that under Tinubu’s watch, governors are getting more allocation.
“If I were a governor under your administration, I would have been a supernatural governor and not an uncommon governor,” he said.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, 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 of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma 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.
Shaffideen Amuwo, childhood friend of the President, reminisced about their early years and how divine providence led Tinubu to the presidency.
“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,” he said.