President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has narrated how naira scarcity nearly made him drop out of the 2023 presidential race.
Gatekeepers News reports that while speaking during a special Iftar at the presidential villa in Abuja on Saturday, Tinubu said he had doubts during the election campaign after an encounter with a close relative.
He recalled, “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,” the president recounted.”
“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.’”
Tinubu said that later, his uncle informed him he had received only N10,000 of the money, adding that it almost led Tinubu to quit the race, however encouragement from Aminu Masari and others convinced him to continue.
The president said he assumed office at a time of economic uncertainty and had to make tough calls, particularly fuel subsidy removal.
He said, “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. 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.”
