By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
President Bola Tinubu on Saturday night recalled how he almost gave up on his presidential race, and how Aminu Masari, the former Katsina state Governor, encouraged him to remain in the race.
According to Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu stated this at a special birthday iftar organised to thank his close friends, as part of his 73rd birthday.
Onanuga said Tinubu expressed deep appreciation to Nigerians, at the occasion for their outpouring of goodwill and prayers as he marked his 73rd birthday.
While reflecting on his political journey, the president recounted a moment of doubt during the 2023 election campaign when he contemplated withdrawing from the race after an encounter with a close relative.
Tinubu acknowledged the challenges he had faces, but reaffirmed his commitment to advancing Nigeria’s progress.
The gathering included his wife, Oluremi Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and his wife, Nana Shettima, members of the Federal Executive Council, principal officers of the National Assembly, current and former governors, diplomats, business leaders, religious figures, and some of the President’s childhood friends.
Abdulkadir Sholagberu, Imam of the National Mosque, Abuja, led special prayers seeking divine guidance and continued progress for the President and the nation.
“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 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.’”
The President 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.
While also reflecting on the decision he took on assumption of office, Tinubu said 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,” he said.
Noting that Nigeria had reached a point of no return on the issue, the President said:
“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,” he said.
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. 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.
Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President praised the President’s ability to forgive and his relentless passion for national development.
Akpabio described the President as a leader who thinks outside the box and as the ‘most audacious president’ in the country’s history.
He said that, under Tinubu’s watch, governors are getting more allocation.
“If I were a governor under your administration, I would have been a ‘supernatural governor’ and not an uncommon governor,” he said.
Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, in his remarks , described President Tinubu as a leader who has broken barriers and uplifted future Nigerian politicians.
He noted that the President had taken a backseat to raising leaders for decades.
“Today, he is at the forefront because Nigeria needs him. In 2019, despite not being from his region, he supported me in my most difficult political moment. Nigeria needs leaders who rise above tribal considerations, and he has demonstrated that,” he said.
Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State commended the President’s decisive leadership at a time when Nigeria needed stability.
“Only a leader with deep conviction and love for the country could have taken the bold and yet necessary decisions that averted national collapse and now restoring hope and confidence across the federation,” he said.
Bosun Tijjani, Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, shared his personal experience of being appointed by President Tinubu despite his past activism.
“Before my appointment, I had never met Mr. President. But after my confirmation, he told me, ‘I have looked at your records and activism, and I am giving you an opportunity to serve,’” he said.
The minister recounted a recent meeting at the World Bank, where a senior official described President Tinubu as the best reformist leader in Africa today.
Shaffideen Amuwo, a childhood friend of the President, reminisced about their early years and how divine providence led Tinubu to the presidency.
“Our relationship did not just start in Chicago; we played soccer together as children. While I chose the library, my brother chose politics because he loved to speak. Today, Allah has shown His greatness by guiding him to lead Nigeria.
“The city of Chicago, founded by a Black man, has educated the man who now leads the most populous Black nation on earth. I pray that Allah continues to hold his hand and guide him as he works to save our country,” he said.