President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has revealed that he nearly withdrew from the 2023 presidential race at a critical moment, after a close relative questioned his decision to contest amid the economic hardships caused by the Naira redesign.

Speaking at a special Iftar held in his honour at the Presidential Villa on Saturday night, Tinubu recounted how the scarcity of cash during the campaign period led to an emotional encounter that made him briefly reconsider his ambition.

“Those close to me know that the odds were against me. One night at about 3:30 a.m., a relative came to me 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. Even our wealthy uncle doesn’t 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, and as he walked out, he turned to me and said, ‘I don’t think you will make it.’ I replied, ‘I will make it.’

“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.

Tough decisions in office

The president acknowledged that he took office during a period of economic uncertainty and had to make immediate, tough decisions, including the removal of fuel subsidies.

“On the day of my inauguration, I had to decide on something not originally in my speech, and that was the fuel subsidy removal,” Tinubu said.

He argued that Nigeria had reached a point of no return on the issue and insisted that leadership required making difficult choices 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 added.

Vice President Kashim Shettima praised Tinubu’s courage, saying history would remember him as the leader who tackled Nigeria’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 doing so, he has taken the bullets that many before him simply lacked the courage to face,” Shettima said.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio also commended Tinubu’s leadership, describing him as a man who thinks outside the box and the “Most audacious president” in Nigeria’s history.

“If I were a governor under your administration, I would have been a ‘supernatural governor’ and not an uncommon governor,” he joked.

The event was attended by First Lady Senator 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.

Dr. Abdulkadir Salman Sholagberu, Imam of the National Mosque in Abuja, led special prayers for divine guidance and continued progress for the president and the nation.