· Talks tough on ‘Renewed Hope’
By Emmanuel OGBECHE
All is set for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take the Oath of Office at the Eagle Square, Abuja, as the 16th elected president of Nigeria.
When on June 3, 2022 in Abeokuta, Ondo state, Tinubu uttered the infamous phrase, Emil’okan in the Yoruba language translates as ‘it is my turn,’ not a few Nigerians were not without angst.
The former Lagos state governor had earlier made the point on January 10, 2022 at Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, when he said, “becoming Nigeria’s president has been my lifelong ambition.”
So when the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in the early hours of March 1, 2023 returned him as the winner of the presidential polls held on Saturday, February 25, 2023 defeating former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, and 16 others it was a dream fulfilled.
‘Renewed Hope’
The new president will be coming at a time Nigerians describe themselves as survivors of the eight drab years of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Aware of the despair in the land, Tinubu rightly dubbed his campaign and and agenda as ‘Renewed Hope 2023.’
The manifesto contains his resolve to deliver on all fronts: national security, economy, agriculture, power, oil and gas, transportation, education, healthcare, digital economy, sport, entertainment and culture, youth empowerment and entrepreneurship, women empowerment, social programmes, judicial reform, federalism/decentralization of power and foreign policy.
According to him on his acceptance speech, “I will get Nigeria to work by launching a major public works programme, a significant and heavy investment in infrastructure, and value-adding manufacturing and agriculture.
“My administration will build an efficient, fast-growing, and well-diversified emerging economy with a real GDP growth averaging 12% annually for the next four years, translating into millions of new jobs during this period,” he said.
He equally promised to find a “creative means of funding tertiary education by granting universities the financial autonomy to explore new sources of financing through grants, corporate sponsorship, tuition fees etc.” and “devolve more revenues and powers to the states and local governments to bring governance and decision-making closer to the people.”
Tinubu also pledged to build a Nigeria that will export more and import less to strengthen the naira and “our way of life,” train and give economic opportunity to the poorest and most vulnerable population “and, most importantly, establish a bold and assertive policy that will create the strong yet adaptive national security architecture and action to obliterate terror, kidnapping, banditry, and all other forms of violent extremism from the face of our nation.”
The new president’s election is being challenged majorly by Atiku, PDP, Obi and Labour Party. The Presidential Election Petition Court is expected to resume hearing of all petitions against Tinubu on May 30, 2023 in Abuja.
Photo: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
