Vice-President Kashim Shettima has praised President Bola Tinubu for his bold leadership, saying the president is taking “bullets” that many of his predecessors “simply lacked the courage to face.”
Speaking during a special Iftar to mark Tinubu’s birthday at the presidential villa in Abuja on Saturday, Shettima lauded the president’s audacity in tackling long-standing national issues, including fraud-ridden fuel subsidies and an unstable forex market.
According to Shettima, Tinubu’s decisiveness will make it easier for future leaders to avoid the challenges that haunted past administrations.
“Thanks to his boldness, future presidents of Nigeria will not have to wrestle with the same ghosts that haunted past administrations, including fraud-ridden fuel subsidies, an unstable forex market, and the suppression of local government autonomy,” Shettima said.
“These were the thorny issues that many before him sidestepped. But Asiwaju did not sidestep history; he came to rewrite it. And in rewriting it, Asiwaju has taken the bullets that many before him simply lacked the courage to face. But that is the thing about true leadership: it is not for those who seek comfort. It is for those who understand that the path to national greatness is lined with difficult choices.”
Other political figures also paid tribute to the president on his birthday. Former President Muhammadu Buhari acknowledged Tinubu’s significant role in Nigeria’s history, saying he is proud of his association with his successor. Senate President Godswill Akpabio also expressed confidence in Tinubu’s leadership, stating that the country is in “safe hands” under his watch.
