President Bola Tinubu declared Wednesday that his win in the most recent presidential election was inevitable, in what appeared to be a subtly worded reaction to the tirade by his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.
He claimed that despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) failed cashless policy, he remained hopeful and confident about winning the election.
During a thank-you visit to the royal fathers in Ogun State, he made this clear in separate statements in the palaces of the Paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, in Ijebu-Ode, and the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, in Abeokuta.
President Tinubu discussed his worries on the seizure of funds and the failure of the cashless policy while reflecting on the difficulties in the run-up to the 2023 presidential election. He also mentioned how he had previously asked Oba Adetona for advice and counsel during his visit to the palace.
Recall that former President Buhari broke his silence on the ongoing discussions following the ‘challenge’ he left for his successor to remove the petrol subsidy on Monday, claiming that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Tinubu would have lost the most recent general election if the policy had been put into place.
However, while addressing the matter through his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, Buhari praised the measures taken thus far by the new government in putting the elimination of the gasoline subsidy into effect as well as its endeavor to unify the Naira currency rate.
The clarification, according to Shehu, was made in response to repeated questions from certain detractors who questioned why it took Tinubu only a few weeks to end the petrol subsidy but Buhari took eight years.
He said that if the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which contains the abolition of the gasoline subsidy, had been put in place earlier, the ruling party would have lost the 2023 election.
President Tinubu responded by saying that in order to overcome the challenges in the election, he called upon the spirits of independence and tenacity, represented by “Baba Emi l’okan.”
“Our money was taken away. The cashless policy was horrible at the time and didn’t function. I came to Ogun State, as we are known for being, to summon the spirit of freedom, I realized.
“Twice, I called upon that spirit. Baba Emi l’okan’s spirit. Baba is that. He’ll tell you that’s him: direct and decisive. The second spirit is that we will conduct the election and prevail whether we have money or not, he remarked.
In a speech to party delegates prior to the APC presidential primaries last year, Tinubu is largely credited with coining the terms “Emi l’okan” and “Olule.” In January, when his presidential campaign train invaded Ogun, he paid his most recent visit to the state and publicly criticized CBN practices and the lack of gasoline.
The President acknowledged that these spirits had been the inspiration for his service and thanked Oba Adetona, all of the Obas, and elected officials, especially his ‘personal buddy’ Senator Gbenga Daniel, who represents Ogun East.
He expressed his gratitude for their fidelity and dedication throughout those pivotal phases of the 2023 election.
He also welcomed Chief Mike Adenuga, a multibillionaire businessman, and expressed gratitude for his support of the Nigerian economy.
President Tinubu commended Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, the Alake of Egbaland, for greeting him during his visit to Abeokuta, calling him an outstanding leader.
In order to secure prosperity and stability in the nation, he reaffirmed his commitment to keeping his word and pleaded with the people of the state for their prayers.
“I have kept my promise to return with the triumph and the crown. The hope has been restored, and it is now. That hope is unbreakable. Your lives will be positively refueled by that hope.
“By the grace of Almighty God, we will see the results of our labor; Nigeria will experience positive change; bear with us through these painful baby steps.”
“The only country we have is this one. My green passport is what I now still have, and I have experience with what it means to be a refugee.
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun praised the President for coming and called him a man of remarkable grace and a living example of resiliency.
The governor outlined the President’s political history as a visionary leader and said that President Tinubu’s early statements in office established his suitability and eligibility for the position.
President Tinubu was praised for his leadership in separate speeches delivered in their palaces by Oba Adetona and Oba Gbadebo, who acknowledged him as a tool of God selected to make up for previous errors.
The Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, also spoke in favor of the President and praised him for a superb start to his term. He added, however, that the populace urgently needs palliatives to lessen the consequences of the current difficulties.
“I recall that we just mentioned that our hope was for you to go and win the primaries, and that if you did, I was confident that God would lead us there. I’m happy God led us there.
I want to bring up what you stated when you visited Remo. Given Shagamu’s closeness to Lagos, you claimed to be taken aback by Remo’s state of underdevelopment. Mr. President, now is the time to walk your talk.
The President entered the palace of the Awujale immediately after landing at 10:17 a.m. in a presidential helicopter registered 5N FG2 of the Nigerian Airforce. They had a private discussion for almost an hour before the President left.
Akinwunmi Ambode, a former governor of Lagos State, yesterday evening joined his predecessor, Babatunde Fashola, and his successor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at a reception organized in honor of President Tinubu in Lagos. It was a reunion and a means of putting an end to any resentments before to the 2019 elections.
After reuniting at the Lagos House in Marina for the first time in more than four years, the three was seen to be in a good mood.
Recall that there was a rift between Ambode and Tinubu’s political group ahead to the 2019 gubernatorial election in the state, which led to the former governor losing his re-election campaign to Sanwo-Olu. Sanwo-Olu visited Ambode earlier this month on the occasion of his 60th birthday as a way of showing his support for Ambode.
Following a protracted journey in the desert for Ambode, the “Berlin Wall” that had existed between godfather Tinubu and godson Ambode also collapsed yesterday.
At Jim Ovia’s book launch on September 17, 2018, Tinubu and Ambode were last spotted together. Guests at the gathering nervously awaited how the two leaders would break the ice, if they managed to, after a week of prominent media stories on their feud, notably with the notorious international press conference by Ambode. However, nothing revealed their hostility. It was the ideal deed.
According to sources, the situation unfolded as follows: “Ambode was already seated when Tinubu sauntered in midway through the event. Then, all of a sudden, the air was electrified. The Lion of Bourdillon stepped up to the stage and spoke. Perhaps the organizers were able to read the audience’s thoughts.
For the governor was called to the platform as soon as Tinubu “roared.” Following the first cheers, there was a noticeable period of stillness. Everyone waited with suspense, including the microphone.
“Ambode then started. After greeting the dignitaries with a grin and a nod, he paused for a second before saying, “Actually, I didn’t prepare to come and say anything here. And when the Jagaban has spoken, who am I to speak?
“It was a perfect example of how to defuse a situation; it made everyone in the room, including the governor, laugh, and the newest catchphrase on social media went viral. Following that, Ambode praised Tinubu’s political acumen before talking about Ovia.
The class of Lagos governors from 1999 to the present last night were all beaming as Tinubu, Fashola, Ambode, and Sanwo-Olu joined forces for an iconic photo in honor of the godfather and current president Tinubu. The meeting’s speaker, Tinubu, said: “I’m glad to see Ambode.”
The President continued, claiming that the government had no alternative but to end the subsidy, that he had swiftly stopped the gasoline subsidy as soon as he took office in order to stem the country’s financial hemorrhaging.
In order to fulfill the promises made to Nigerians by politicians, he said, the nation’s finances needed to be reorganized and controlled, and abolishing the gasoline subsidy was one option.
In addition, Tinubu claimed that he could not afford to provide the subsidy to neighboring nations like Father Christmas, but he pledged to continue helping all Nigerians using the resources at his disposal.
He praised everyone who attended the celebration of him and thanked Sanwo-Olu for organizing it.
Sanwo-Olu stated earlier in his welcoming message that Lagos is fully behind Tinubu and that his election as president is not a coincidence but rather something that God intends to happen.
Sanwo-Olu continued by saying that Lagos State is proud of Tinubu and will support him wholeheartedly. In the meanwhile, Buhari on Thursday pleaded with Nigerians to let him stay out of the spotlight so as not to overshadow the incoming government.
According to a statement by his media assistant Shehu, the former President has traveled to a more remote location in order to emphasize his appeal. Shehu did not, however, reveal the new site.
The statement said that, “to the greatest extent possible, the former President wishes to remain outside the spotlight so as not to preoccupy the new administration.”
On May 29, Buhari resigned to his hometown of Daura in Katsina State after eight years of public service and transferred the reins of Nigeria’s government to Tinubu.
The former president had said that he would move back to his hometown of Daura to relax and stay as far away from the political epicenter of 2023 as possible.
He went to his house in Daura in the hopes of finding the kind of peace and quiet he desired for himself, but after learning that this was not the case—visitors were pouring in morning, noon, and night—he moved to a more remote location.
The statement said, “It is his intention that he be let to take the necessary rest, and that the Tinubu administration have the correct environment to focus on the realization of the promises they made.
