Fatimah Otunsanya
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday dared the opposition political parties, especially the African Democratic Congress (ADC), telling them that he cannot be scared by their conspiracy.
The President said, despite the alleged gang-up against him, he will not give up.
Speaking when he hosted the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, a group set up to communicate his administration’s agenda and reforms to all parts of the country, he also advised the opposition to surrender to the principles of democracy and obey the judiciary.
He expressed gratitude to the members of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors and assured them that he would not abandon them.
“I’m grateful to all of you. This is an opportunity of a lifetime to break the shackles of poverty and ignorance, to put freedom in the hearts of our people, to ensure democracy survives—not the noise-making, not the rascality of a street convention,” he said.
While advising the opposition to obey the judiciary, the President said: “We cannot submit to disobedience of a lawful order of the court. We must embrace the judiciary, whether it favours us or not.
“We submit to the principles of democracy, separation of powers, and the understanding of its dynamics and the nationhood that Nigeria is. We must build one country.
“There’s no other way on the path that we embrace to national greatness than to build one nation, one common vision for progress and prosperity of our people. That’s what we must do. That’s what Renewed Hope is all about.”
Tinubu told the Renewed Hope Ambassadors to try as much as possible to give Nigerians hope.
“You must give them that hope, but try as much as possible, men and women of integrity who are here in this room, to build a Nigeria,” he said.
On the coming together of the opposition, Tinubu said: “They want to scare me off; it is a lie. I’ve been through this path before, and if I have to come back over and over and over again, I’ll do the same thing.
“There is no better place than your own country, and no one can build it except you. We saw great things because we see skyscrapers. We wonder how the plane takes off and flies from one destination to the other. These are no magic of yesterday.
“It is the thinker of tomorrow and the future that can elevate life, that can reform us all. As a transformative leader, you are in good company. Don’t be afraid.”
Commenting on the economy, the President said despite the bad shape of the nation’s economy before he took over, he had to take the bull by the horns.
“I’ve listened to you. There is the economy. I didn’t have to look back because the truth is, I took over from myself. The late (Muhammadu) Buhari is me; he was a partner. If I took over from him, is that not from myself?
“So if something is wrong, fine—live with it, correct it, move on. The life voyage is not going to be easy, and so many of you are traveling with me. I can only stand before you and say you will not regret it.
“That’s why we ask you to renew their hope. If they don’t want to, we will let them see the hope and the roads with the bridges and the children we raise, and the economy we are growing. We lend them ‘jiggy bola’. We will give them eyeglasses.
“I can assure you, whatever you say I do, but one thing that you need from me is a promise that I won’t run away from you. With you, the deal is done. No other thing—whatever we need to do, coordinate from the ward level.”
The President said the Renewed Hope Ambassadors belong to one family and represent the conscience of a nation “that wants to break the shackles of poverty, ignorance, and hopelessness.”
He further said: “You are in good company. That’s all I can say, and all I can promise is that I won’t give up.
