You can’t scare me off… I’ve been down this path before – Tinubu tells Opposition

President Bola Tinubu says he is unfazed by mounting pressure from the opposition ahead of the 2027 elections. 

The president spoke on Thursday while receiving a delegation of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors led by Hope Uzodimma, governor of Imo, at the State House in Abuja.

“They want to scare me off? It’s a lie. I’ve been through this path before,” Tinubu said.

“And if I have to come back 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.”

The president said modern achievements are driven by forward-thinking ideas rather than past “magic”, urging his audience to embrace transformative leadership without fear.

Tinubu said he had taken responsibility for the current state of the economy, describing late President Muhammadu Buhari as his partner in governance.

“I didn’t have to look back on the economy because the truth is, I took over from myself,” he said.

“The late Buhari was me. He was my partner. And if I took over from him. Is that not from me? So, if something is wrong, fine. Live with it, correct it, move on.”

The president acknowledged that the journey would not be easy but assured that the reforms would ultimately be worthwhile.

He added that those who fail to recognise the administration’s efforts would be made to see them, saying, “If they don’t want to see the hope… we shall lend them ‘Jigi-Bola’, eyeglasses.”

According to the president, the political and economic structures that have long undermined Nigerians’ prosperity are being replaced through economic realignment.

Tinubu urged the ambassadors to intensify grassroots mobilisation.

“You represent the conscience of a nation that wants to break the shackles of poverty and hopelessness,” he said.

The president added that his administration would uphold democratic principles, including the rule of law, separation of powers and citizens’ rights.

“We cannot submit to disobedience of a lawful order of the court; we must embrace the judiciary, whether it favours us or not,” he said.

“There’s no other path for us to attain national greatness other than to build one common vision for the progress and prosperity of our people. That is what we must do.”

He reiterated that his government is focused on inclusive growth, youth opportunities and ensuring that every Nigerian has a stake in the country’s future, while urging citizens not to be swayed by misinformation from opposition elements.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima and the national chairman of the APC, Nentawe Yilwatda, attended the event alongside several governors, including Mai Mala Buni, Inuwa Yahaya, Nasir Idris, Francis Nwifuru, Sheriff Oborevwori, Usman Ododo, Abiodun Oyebanji, Hyacinth Alia, Agbu Kefas, Monday Okpebholo, and Uba Sani.

Also in attendance were former governors including Aminu Bello Masari, Ifeanyi Okowa, and Tanko Al-Makura, as well as former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim and APC national secretary Ajibola Bashiru.