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I almost dumped 2023 presidential race – President Tinubu confesses
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said he almost dumped the 2023 presidential race.
The President said this at a special Iftar held in his honour at the Presidential Villa on Saturday night.
President Tinubu thanked guests for their presence, prayers, and contributions to the nation’s development, and appreciated Nigerians for their outpouring of goodwill and prayers as he marked his 73rd birthday.
Reflecting on his political journey, President Tinubu recounted a moment of doubt during the 2023 election campaign when he contemplated withdrawing from the race after an encounter with a close relative.
“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,’” said Tinubu.
The President stated 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.”
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.
“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.
Sen. Godswill Akpabio, President of the Senate, 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 under Tinubu’s watch, governors were 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.
Mr Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, 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.
Gov. 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.
Dr. Bosun Tijjani, Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, shared his personal experience of being appointed by President Tinubu despite his past activism.
“Before my appointment, I had never met the President. But after my confirmation, he told me, ‘I have looked at your records and activism, and I am giving you an opportunity to serve,’” he said.
The minister recounted a recent meeting at the World Bank, where a senior official described Tinubu as the best reformist leader in Africa today.
Prof. Shaffideen Amuwo, a 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.
Amid the ban on Sallah Durbar activities, the 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, on Tuesday, abandoned the traditional horse procession and instead travelled in a vehicle convoy to offer Sallah homage to Governor Abba Yusuf at the Kano Government House.
The emir also changed his routes from the Emir’s palace to the state road to the Government House, to avoid security breaches.
There had been anxiety among residents of the state, following the decision of the two rival emirs to hold the Sallah Durbar.
The 15th Emir of Kano, Alhaji (Dr) Aminu Ado Bayero, had written to the police command, informing it of the plan to have a Sallar Durbar procession during the Eid-el-Fitr festivities.
Also, Governor Abba Yusuf asked Emir Sanusi and the Kano Emirate to prepare to celebrate the Sallah Durbar this year.
Sensing security implications, Bayero announced the cancellation of all Sallah Durbar activities this year.
The state Commissioner of Police, Adamu Bakori, also announced the ban of all forms of Sallah Durbar activities in the state, citing security concerns.
The development was welcomed by Emir Sanusi, who called for calm among residents.
On Tuesday, Sanusi ditched the traditional horse-riding Sallah procession to the Government House and instead opted for a vehicle procession.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Sanusi, speaking at the Government House, lauded the governor for prioritising education, healthcare, agriculture, and security in the state.
“We’ve come to pay Sallah homage and thank you for your outstanding work, especially in education and agriculture, where you’ve provided subsidised modern farming implements.
“We are grateful to God for allowing us to witness this special moment, where we gather to greet the governor once again on the occasion of Sallah,” he said.
Sanusi commended members of the state House of Assembly for their lawful actions, which he said had restored sanity in the Emirate Council.
“We are hopeful that the governor will continue to do well, and we urge local government chairmen to follow his example and complement his efforts,” the emir added.
Yusuf commended Sanusi for promoting the peaceful coexistence of the people in the state.
“We are thankful to God for sparing us to see this day. It’s a tradition that on a day like this, the emir, accompanied by his entourage, visits us to pay Sallah homage.
“We thank God for sparing us to complete our Ramadan fast in peace,” he said.
The governor expressed gratitude to the Emir and his entourage for their support and efforts to unite the people of Kano State.
“We appreciate the emir’s persistent calls against antisocial vices in the state. Our emir is a leader who genuinely cares for his people.
“His dedication to bringing together different Islamic sects is a remarkable achievement,” he added.
The governor described Kano as one of the most peaceful in Nigeria, adding that his administration would ensure that the peace was sustained.
“Everyone can see our tireless efforts to transform Kano into a megacity with well-maintained streets.
“I have challenged them (public officeholders) to a competition to motivate them to perform better for their constituents,” Yusuf said.
The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has called for collaboration with the Sahel and West African countries on information and data sharing for effective border control.
He made the call on Tuesday while addressing newsmen on the sidelines of the Summit on Border Security in London.
“There is a need for collaboration of countries within the Sahel and West African sub-region for better international partnerships and information dissemination.
“We need more data sharing and better collaborations to make sure we don’t just solve the problem but we stop the problem from happening.
“The major takeaway from this summit is proactiveness and not just being reactive as countries are now more poised to criminalising irregular migration.
“So this summit is a wonderful one because it brings an opportunity for ministers in border control to make sure we are all able to manage our borders to secure our countries,” Tunji-Ojo said.
According to him, organised immigration crimes are peculiar to any nation but cut across, hence, the need for collaboration and shared solutions.
“Nigeria has a border control solution because we are not just a destination point. We have automated our solutions as there are more measures in place to ensure the borders are secured and to ensure irregular migration is brought to an end.
“We can’t afford to lose the battle before we start it, and so we know that with this kind of summit, as a united front, we will effectively combat this menace,” Tunji-Ojo assured.
NAN reports that the UK summit brought together over 30 global leaders, including UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, and UK Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, to discuss critical issues surrounding border control and organised immigration crime
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Immigration Service, on Tuesday, announced the arrest of 51 illegal immigrants in Nasarawa State.
According to the NIS, the illegal immigrants, who were apprehended in New Nyanya, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, are all from Mali and are between the ages of 17 and 25.
The NIS Public Relations Officer, A.S. Akinlabi, confirmed the arrest on Tuesday, stating that 11 of them are female, while 40 are male.
He said a preliminary investigation conducted by the service suggests that the migrants may be victims of human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
Akinlabi said, “The Nigeria Immigration Service has arrested 51 illegal immigrants in New Nyanya, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
“The illegal migrants, all Malians aged between 17 and 25, were arrested at their hideouts following credible intelligence. Eleven of them are female, while 40 are male.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that they may have been victims of human trafficking and migrant smuggling. None of them presented any valid travel documents or residence permits during interrogation.”
Akinlabi added that the migrants had been taken into NIS custody and were undergoing further profiling and investigation.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has commiserated with the immediate past Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, over the death of his younger brother, Mr Tyozenda Ortom.
In a statement on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the FCT Minister described the death of Tyozenda as painful.
He urged the entire Ortom family to take solace in God, “the giver and taker of life”.
“The news of the death of Mr Tyozenda Ortom came to me as a rude shock and I understand the feeling of loss that must be going on in the mind of my brother and friend, His Excellency, Dr. Samuel Ortom.
“However, as painful and shocking as the death may be, I urge that solace should be taken in God, who has made death inevitable.
“On behalf of my family, friends and associates, I commiserate with you over this sad incident. It is my prayer that God in His infinite mercies will give you and the entire Ortom Adorogo family the fortitude to bear this irreparable and painful loss.”
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