By Jane Okafor, Abuja
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed his commitment to the removal of petrol subsidy, declaring that he has no regrets about the decision and likening it to the Biblical story of Moses leading the Israelites of Egypt to the Promised Land, insisted that despite the challenges on the way, Nigeria cannot return to “Egypt.”
The President also praised his son, Seyi Tinubu, for his involvement in youth mobilisation through the City Boy Movement, a political support group working towards his re-election in 2027.
Tinubu made the remarks on Monday at a forum titled “Together till 2027: An Evening with Original City Boy,” organised by the City Boy Movement in collaboration with the “Relax, Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria” movement at the Old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Addressing members of the movement and other youth supporters, the President expressed appreciation for their continued support, describing their presence as a reminder of why he sought the presidency and remained committed to governing the country.
He said: “When I walked into this hall, I did not see a crowd. I saw Nigeria. I saw why I ran for the presidency of this country. I saw why I wake up every morning to work. I saw the reason. Now, I have no regret. I saw the future that belongs to you.
“I cannot describe the situation or the elation I felt hearing from one or two of you. The words I do not often say enough, I must say tonight: thank you very much. Thank you for standing with me. The road we have walked these past three years has not been easy.
“We took hard decisions that you heard from Kashim Shettima.”
Tinubu: We Will Never Return to Subsidy
The President defended the removal of fuel subsidy, dismissing opposition calls for its reinstatement and drawing an analogy between Nigeria’s economic reforms and the biblical account of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt.
According to him, the country must remain focused on economic transformation rather than reverse policies introduced by his administration.
He said: “I could listen to my political opponents promising a return to subsidy. Most of all, sometimes I remember my scripture studies, both in the Bible and the Holy Quran. When Moses left Egypt, they faced a challenge, and the Red Sea parted and gave way.
“You cannot ask Moses to go back to Egypt. We wake up with ideas, original thoughts and deep thinking to move this country forward. With your energy and support, we will never go back to Egypt.
“No regrets. Before I left home, I saw one of the greatest Chinese economic news reports, that the economy was growing by about 4.6 per cent. We are on the right trajectory. We are in good company. The economy is growing steadily. You will have a future, a future to believe in.
“Nigeria must win this election before any candidate does. You are not campaigning for me. You are campaigning for your own future, and that future is Renewed Hope. There is nothing that will push us back.”
Tinubu acknowledged the economic challenges confronting the country when he assumed office, including difficulties meeting financial obligations, mounting debts to airlines and dwindling foreign reserves.
He said his administration had inherited substantial liabilities but chose to confront the challenges through reforms rather than dwell on the shortcomings of previous governments.
The President said: “They were almost cutting their flights to Nigeria. Our foreign reserves were nothing. We were printing currency as if there was no tomorrow. But rather than looking back at the flaws of the past, I took the lesson. My first lesson was that I could not avoid assuming the responsibility and liabilities of my predecessor. That was a challenge.
“We rebuilt our tax system. Many said young Nigerians would turn their backs on reform. They were wrong. You are here. I came and promised one thing: that I would stop the unending strikes by ASUU, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, so that a four-year course would be completed in four years in the universities.
“We understood that a nation cannot borrow its way to greatness. You were patient when patience was hard. You defended this administration in the markets, on the campuses, in the motor parks and on social media.
“Often, when it was not popular to do so, I saw it, I noticed it, and I will never forget it. I say thank you once again to the City Boy Movement. All of you have done something new in Nigerian politics.
“You did not just gather people. You built a structure with millions of real, verifiable members, with a presence in every state, every local government, every ward, down to the polling unit. You built a call centre that speaks to young Nigerians every day and listens to whatever their communities need. City Boy Care reaches members where they live.
“That is not noise. That is organisation. That is excellent thinking. That is the kind of seriousness this country needs from its young people, and I am very proud of you. I must say so. Relax: Tinubu is fixing Nigeria.”
President Thanks Youth Support Groups
Tinubu commended youth support groups operating across Nigeria and abroad, crediting them with promoting his administration’s agenda and communicating its policies to Nigerians.
He said the groups had continued to mobilise support despite differences in their names, colours and slogans, adding that their contributions had strengthened the administration’s engagement with young people.
The President said: “I say thanks to every youth support group at home and abroad — from Lagos to Maiduguri, from Karu and Akwanga to Sokoto, and from London to Houston to Toronto. You carry different names, different colours and different slogans.
“No promise can be bigger than that of a better Nigeria — one Nigeria, united for one purpose, with great vision, commitment to duty, reality and fidelity to friendship. You have made an enormous contribution. I can go back home confidently tonight and sleep soundly.”
He assured young Nigerians supporting his administration that they would have a role to play in the country’s future, stressing that national development should extend beyond his generation.
“The future of this country does not belong to me, and it does not belong to my generation. It belongs to you.
“I am very proud, once again, that when I signed the Student Loan Act, I had no regrets. Today, more than a million students have been supported through NELFUND.”
The President’s reference to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund came as he highlighted the student loan programme as one of the initiatives through which his administration was seeking to expand access to higher education.
Tinubu Praises Son’s Role in City Boy Movement
The President also commended his son, Seyi Tinubu, the patron of the City Boy Movement, for organising young people and engaging with their concerns without seeking a formal political position.
Tinubu described his son’s involvement as an example of youth engagement and urged him to intensify his efforts in public service.
He said: “He is running after his father. Your young colleagues would have seen that you are investing your time effectively. We are with you. Thank you. You did it humbly. You did not ask for a title or an office. You went to the young people, your age mates, your group. You listened to them and organised them.
“I am proud of all of you. But I will tell you what every father tells a son: you have only started. Do more, not less. Serve harder. Set an example that your own children, my grandchildren, will be proud to follow.”
Tinubu further urged members of the movement to encourage young Nigerians to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and participate in elections.
He called on them to communicate the administration’s achievements and future plans to voters, while defending his decision to remove fuel subsidy immediately after assuming office.
He said: “Tell them what we have done, and tell them what we will do. Campaign with your ideas. I came and removed subsidy on my first day. No Nigerian will go bankrupt. Yes, there was nothing left to pay for subsidy.”
Shettima: Economy Would Have Collapsed Without Tinubu’s Reforms
Vice President Kashim Shettima defended the administration’s economic policies, arguing that Nigeria’s economy could have collapsed if Tinubu had failed to implement what he described as far-reaching reforms.
Shettima said the decisions had helped reposition the economy and pointed to economic growth and an increase in foreign reserves as indications of progress.
He argued that critics who opposed the reforms would have been predicting economic collapse had the President failed to take the measures.
The Vice President said: “The President took those far-reaching decisions. He had the courage of conviction and the knowledge to take those far-reaching decisions that repositioned the Nigerian economy, so that now the economy grew by 4.43 per cent in the last quarter.
“Most importantly, our foreign reserves are now hovering around the level of $60 billion.
“Remember how far we have come. It is only those who have been in the deepest valley that will appreciate how magnificent it is to be on a mountain top.”
Addressing critics of the administration, Shettima maintained that the President’s decisions had prevented a worse economic outcome.
He said: “The same people who are crying wolf — if the President had not taken those far-reaching decisions, wallahi, I am not talking to you as a politician; I am talking to you as a Nigerian — our economy would have collapsed.
“These people, by now, would be writing epistles about a collapsed economy from the comfort of their homes in Dubai or New York, or in marriage with their young Moroccan wives.
“I have not mentioned anybody’s name.”
Although he acknowledged that Nigerians had faced significant economic hardship, the Vice President insisted that the situation could have been more severe without the government’s interventions.
He urged Nigerians to recognise the challenges involved in implementing the reforms while expressing confidence that further measures would address some of the difficulties facing households.
Shettima said: “Your Excellency, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the President has to be commended, not demonised.
“Yes, Nigerians have gone through some tough times, but it could have been worse.
“Be reassured that in the coming weeks, the President will come up with robust responses to agricultural challenges, and the prices of foodstuffs will certainly come down,” he stated.
The Vice President also highlighted the government’s education financing initiatives and infrastructure investments as part of its broader economic repositioning agenda.
He called on young Nigerians to help communicate the administration’s position to the public.
“I urge the youth of Nigeria. I beseech thee. I implore you to go out to the streets and tell the truth to other Nigerians,” he stated.
City Boy Movement Pledges Support for Tinubu’s Agenda
Earlier, the Director-General of the City Boy Movement, Hon. Francis Shoga, reaffirmed the group’s commitment to mobilising young Nigerians around the administration’s agenda.
Shoga said the movement was determined to encourage youth participation in national development, promote unity and support initiatives aimed at transforming the country.
He said: “I stand before you today on behalf of the leadership and the entire members of the City Boy Movement.
“Mr President, we stand before you with a clear, powerful and unshakable message: the youths of Nigeria are ready. We are ready to work. We are ready to serve. We are ready to live, and we are ready to take purposeful action for the progress, unity and prosperity of our great nation.
“We are not a generation waiting helplessly on the sidelines. We are not a generation without direction, courage or purpose. We are a generation prepared to rise above every limitation, organise with discipline, confront challenges with courage and build the Nigeria of our dreams.
“Your Excellency, we are your foot soldiers, ambassadors of hope, defenders of our national unity and committed partners in the great task ahead of national transformation. Whatever young Nigerians have found, we will carry the message of Renewed Hope.
“We will inspire confidence, promote patriotism, encourage responsible participation and transform belief into action. This is our calling. This is our duty. And this is our moment to serve Nigeria.
“Your Excellency, the City Boy Movement draws its inspiration from the courage, persistence, patriotism, visionary leadership and bold decision-making that have defined your political journey and public service.
“Our mission is to inform, engage, inspire and empower Nigerian youths so that they understand the direction of government, recognise available opportunities and participate confidently and responsibly in national development.”
