The Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has disclosed that he almost jettison his Presidential ambition in 2003 when one of his close associates assumed that he would not make it at the poll.
Penpushing reports that Tinubu made the revelation at a special Iftar held in his honour at the Presidential Villa on Saturday night, recalling that the associate had earlier came to him at 3:30 a.m. and said he needed just N50,000 to buy foodstuff for an uncle.
‘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 said.
“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.’”, he said
Penpushing further reports that 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.
Penpushing also reports that the President pointed out 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. The hallmark of a great leader is the ability to make the right decision at the right time’, Tinubu stated.
‘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.
Penpushing reports that he noted that Nigeria had reached a point of no return on the issue, while acknowledging the challenges he faced on his path to the presidency, reaffirmed his commitment to advancing Nigeria’s progress.
The President expressed deep appreciation to Nigerians for their outpouring of goodwill and prayers as he marked his 73rd birthday AND thanked guests for their presence, prayers, and contributions to the nation’s development.
Penpushing further reports that the 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’, Shettima said.
‘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.
Penpushing also reports that, Imam of the National Mosque, Abuja, Abdulkadir Sholagberu led special prayers seeking divine guidance and continued progress for the President and the nation.
The dignitaries at the event included the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and his wife, Nana Shettima, members of the Federal Executive Council(FEC), Principal officers of the National Assembly, current and former Governors, diplomats, business leaders, religious figures, and some of the President’s childhood friends.
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