I Still Have My Green-Back Passport – Tinubu

The President expressed optimism for positive improvements in Nigeria as it takes “baby steps of faith.”

President Bola Tinubu asserts that Nigerians cannot afford to take up residence abroad as refugees and adds that he still possesses his green card.

In order for Nigeria to take “baby steps of faith” and reach a “positive destination,” the President urged Nigerians to be patriotic and to have trust in their nation.

“As time goes on, Nigeria will experience favorable developments. Let’s take these modest steps of trust together,” Tinubu remarked on Thursday while visiting the state capital of Abeokuta and the palace of Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, the Alake of Egbaland.

“Let Nigeria regain its confidence. The only country we have is this one. I understand what it’s like to be a refugee in another nation. What I currently own is my greenback passport.

Despite the ‘no money, no gasoline’ scandal that surrounded the February 25, 2023 election, Tinubu, who described his visit as a “homecoming,” praised the leaders for winning Ogun State for him in the last election.

After achieving “Emi lo kan,” he declared that he was happy to be back in Ogun State. Then, in order to guide Nigeria’s ship in the correct direction and keep all of his pledges, he begged the monarchs for their prayers.

“I’m grateful to the chairman of our party. Despite the burden of having no money or fuel, at least we delivered. Ah! I give you credit. I’m grateful.

“The hope has been refueled. There it is. That hope is unbreakable. I’m still here to keep my campaign commitment, the President declared.

Days before the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election, on June 2, 2022, in Abeokuta, Tinubu delivered his well-known “Emi lokan (It is my turn)” speech.

At the Presidential Lodge in Abeokuta, Ogun State, he addressed party delegates and declared, “It is the turn of the Yoruba, it is my turn.”

In his speech, he described how Muhammadu Buhari, a former military leader, had consistently lost presidential elections until Tinubu helped him win in 2015. Later, in a statement, he would express his appreciation for the President.

In 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states, Tinubu won the APC ticket and the most votes. He won substantial numbers in a number of other states to win the most votes (8,794,726), about two million more than his nearest opponent, former vice president and PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar.

Abubakar, 76, who has already campaigned for president six times, received 6,984,520 votes, while Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), who in less than a year galvanized youthful voters in a way that some have called unprecedented, came in second with 6,101,533, received 6,101,533 votes.

On May 29, 2023, a week after taking office as president of Nigeria, Tinubu removed Godwin Emefiele, the CBN’s governor, and enacted drastic reforms, including the unification of international exchange rates.