President Bola Tinubu says Nigerians cannot afford to remain refugees in other countries, and that he still has his green passport.
The President urged Nigerians to be patriotic and to have faith in their country as the country takes “baby steps of faith” toward a “positive destination.”
“Nigeria will see positive changes as we move along. Let’s go through these baby steps of faith,” Tinubu said on Thursday when he visited the palace of the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, in Abeokuta, the state capital.
“Let the confidence return to Nigeria. This country is the only country we have. I know what it means to be a refugee in another country. And my green-back passport is what I still have now.”
Tinubu, who described his visit as a homecoming, praised the leaders for delivering Ogun State for me in the previous election despite the ‘no money, no fuel’ issue that surrounded the February 25, 2023 election.
He said he was pleased to be back in Ogun State after achieving ‘Emi lo kan’. He then requested the monarchs’ prayers to guide the ship of Nigeria in the correct direction and to keep all pledges made.
“To the chairman of our party, I am grateful. At least, we delivered despite the hardship of no money, no fuel. Ah! I credit you. Thank you.
“The hope is recharged. It is here. That hope will never fail. I am here still making that pledge of the campaign promise,” the President stated.
Tinubu delivered his renowned “Emi lokan (It is my turn)” speech on June 2, 2022 in Abeokuta, days before the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary.
“It is the turn of Yoruba, it is my turn,” he said while addressing party delegates at the Presidential Lodge in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
In his speech, Tinubu described how former military head of state Muhammadu Buhari continuously lost presidential elections until he (Tinubu) helped him win in 2015. He would later publish a statement expressing his admiration for the President.
Tinubu received the APC ticket and won in 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states. He had strong support in several other states, giving him the most votes – 8,794,726, about two million more than his nearest challenger, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Abubakar, 76, who has now stood for president six times, received 6,984,520 votes, while the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Peter Obi, who rallied youthful voters in an unprecedented manner in less than a year, received 6,101,533.
Tinubu removed the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, about a week after his inauguration as Nigeria’s President on May 29, 2023, and instituted dramatic reforms, including the unification of international exchange rates.
