President Bola Tinubu on Friday promised a better future for Nigerians even as he took a swipe at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), declaring that they lacked the leadership qualities to govern Nigeria.
Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, spoke during his visit to Akwa Ibom State, where he urged voters to support his administration and Governor Umo Eno, insisting that continuity was necessary to sustain development.
His visit, however, was overshadowed by a road crash involving an Akwa Ibom State Transport Corporation (AKTC) bus conveying women to welcome him, in which one person was feared dead and several others sustained serious injuries.
The accident occurred along Oron Road, Uyo, when the bus, reportedly heading towards the airport, collided with a security Hilux van. Both vehicles were badly damaged.
Addressing supporters at the rally, Tinubu described his visit as a homecoming, recalling his professional connection with Akwa Ibom through his early employment with Mobil Oil.
“It’s like a homecoming for me. I remember having cut my teeth with Deloitte, the greatest accounting firm in America. I expressed the desire to come home. Mobil Oil recruited me.
“Part of the first assignment I was given was to audit the operations of Mobil in Eket. We used to go by boat to Ibono Terminal at that time. Akwa Ibom and I have been united ever since then. Till now, they decided that we are going to keep good company,” he said.
The President urged the electorate, particularly young people, to obtain their Permanent Voter Card (PVCs), describing it as their most potent instrument for determining the country’s political future.
“To you, the youth, do you have your PVC? Show me your hand if you have your PVC. To me, that is your sword. That is the weapon you need to defeat tyranny, to defeat those who deceive, those who don’t appreciate the value of a growing economy and the value of promising prosperity.
“The weapon you have is the PVC. I don’t have to enumerate what I’ve done for you. I’ve committed my last years to struggling for democracy, freedom, authenticity, development and progress,” Tinubu said.
He urged the people to support continuity, arguing that his administration had delivered improvements in education and other sectors.
“Have you seen development or not? You have seen progress. Your university is no longer on strike. There’s economic value being added to your life,” he told the crowd.
Tinubu then promised a better future through infrastructure development, education, skills acquisition and employment opportunities. “I’m begging you for the sake of your future. I promise you a better future; I promise you development; I promise you education; I promise you skill development; I promise you jobs. We are going to plant a lot of economic trees. There’s no reason why Akwa Ibom cannot use the value of palm trees,” he added.
Defends his economic policies
He described the January 16, 2027 election as consequential, saying it would determine the country’s direction. He also defended his economic policies saying his administration had moved Nigeria away from the brink of financial collapse.
According to him, “This coming election, on January 16th is a consequential election. It will define the direction of this country. When I took over, 27 governors out of 36 of this country were unable to pay salary, not to talk of pension, and gratuity. Today I can say that we are out of that tunnel. And I can beat my chest to say we are out of the despair, the dark tunnel of uncertainty and the calamity of a possible bankruptcy. By now if we didn’t take over, if we didn’t do what we did, we will be using the wheelbarrows to move our naira about because it will have become valueless.”
Acknowledging the hardship associated with his economic reforms, he added: “It was difficult; it was hard. It was hard for me, too. I don’t know the pain of the market, but I share your pain. I share your difficulty.
He also defended the student loan programme, saying it was designed to remove the burden of tuition fees from parents and widen access to education. “We’re taking education as the greatest weapon against poverty and creating opportunity for those who are still coming behind. From today on, as we are fighting corruption, any recovered corruption proceeds would be channelled into the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND)
Tinubu further insisted that Nigeria would not return to fuel subsidy, using a biblical analogy of Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea to argue that the country must move forward rather than return to its previous economic policies.
Knocks Obi, Atiku
Taking a direct swipe at Obi, the NDC presidential candidate, Tinubu said: “Obi ran away from erosion in Anambra and he will now want to be president? President of where?” He also criticised Atiku over his political movements, questioning his ability to manage a political party and lead the country.
“Immediately a little inclination came that they were going to challenge leadership, he ran away. He abandoned the party. He now belongs to another party, and he’s looking for the presidency? Will you give such a person opportunity who has no leadership quality, no sense of responsibility?” he asked.
Approves deep sea port
A major highlight of the rally was Tinubu’s response to Governor Eno’s appeal for Federal Government approval of the Ibom Deep Sea Port. Responding to the request, the President declared: “On behalf of the people and leadership of Akwa Ibom, the governor requested for Ibom Deep Sea Port. It’s approved.” The declaration drew loud cheers from supporters, who repeatedly chanted: “Thank you, President! Thank you, President! Thank you, President!”
Tinubu said the project would generate economic value and accelerate development in the state. “Ibom Deep Sea Port will bring associated economic value and economic development,” he said.
He also praised Eno for what he described as his commitment to addressing erosion and promoting development, urging the people to support the governor. “Governor Eno confronted the erosion in Akwa Ibom, and it’s working for you. It’s stable. They lack the leadership character and traits,” he said in an apparent reference to his political opponents.
Praises Eno, defends reforms
At a reception held in his honour at Ibom Palm Resort, Tinubu praised Eno, describing the resort as evidence of purposeful leadership and the possibility of reclaiming environmentally degraded land for productive use.
“We are standing on a resort to the glory of God, which is a product of 73 acres of land of gully erosion, reclaimed, surrounded with a good, romantic, artificial lake, demonstrating a serious vision that is achievable when honest people are working for their homes,” he said.
Auto crash
Meanwhile, during the President’s visit there was a crash involving the AKTC bus conveying women mobilised to join supporters welcoming him. The bus reportedly collided with a security Hilux van along Oron Road as the women headed towards the airport.
Eyewitnesses said one person was feared dead, while several others sustained serious injuries and required emergency assistance.
Footage of the aftermath shared by Nsikakabasi Akpan showed early responders and other persons struggling to evacuate injured occupants from the wreckage.
Akpan described the incident as a collision involving a bus conveying women to the airport to receive the President and a security vehicle.
Confirming the accident, Paul James, Public Relations Officer, Road Safety Operations, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Akwa Ibom State Command, said the command had dispatched a response team to the scene.
James, however, said the command was yet to establish the extent of casualties and the circumstances surrounding the collision as of the time of filing this report.
