President Bola Tinubu On Thursday, he stated that no amount of pressure or intimidation will divert him from his decision-making duties.
Tinubu underlined his administration’s commitment to the reform agenda, which he claimed is already producing results for Nigerians.
Tinubu challenged critics and political opponents at the State House in Abuja during a meeting with the leadership and coordinators of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, a political mobilization network established weeks earlier to carry the administration’s message to the grassroots. He declared that he is the legitimate successor to former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said, “They want to scare me off. It’s 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.
“Whatever you say, I do, but one thing that you need from me is a promise that I won’t run away from this fight. With you, the deal is done,” he stated.
Tinubu’s remarks came against the backdrop of sustained political pressure from opposition figures and a segment of civil society who have questioned the pace and equity of his administration’s reforms, with some calling for his resignation over the hardship.
On April 14, former ally Rauf Aregbesola, National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, denounced Tinubu’s administration, calling its Renewed Hope Agenda a “classic scam.”
Speaking at the ADC National Convention in Abuja on Tuesday, the former interior minister urged the president to quit, citing widespread insecurity and economic hardship.
Tinubu, on the other hand, portrayed his reforms as necessary corrections passed down from a collaborator, former President Muhammadu Buhari, rather than an adversary.
He said, “I didn’t have to look back, because the truth is, I took over from myself. The late 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.”
He also charged the ambassadors and Nigerians to respect the courts and the constitutional order.
“We cannot submit to disobedience of a lawful order of a court. We must embrace the judiciary, whether it favors us or not.
“We submit to this principle of democracy, separation of powers, the understanding of its dynamics, and the nationhood that Nigeria is. We must build one country,” said Tinubu.
He defined the Renewed Hope mission as a generational commitment, adding, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to break the shackles of poverty and ignorance, to instill freedom in our people’s hearts, and to ensure democracy’s survival.” “Not the raucousness of a street convention.”
On February 24, the Renewed Hope Ambassadors were solemnly inaugurated during a conference in Abuja.
At the conference, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma stated that the initiative was intended to mobilize support networks at the state and local government levels for the Tinubu administration’s policy agenda and the APC ahead of the 2027 election cycle.
Tinubu reminded the audience that he had carefully listened to their reports and remained energized.
He says, “I’m inspired; I’m ready. I’m grateful to all of you.”
Vice President Kashim Shettima, Kaduna State Governor Senator Uba Sani, Uzodimma, APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, and APC National Secretary Senator Ajibola Basiru were among those who attended the meeting.
