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00:00I was thinking of running at the time that you all carried the banner, that, yes, it's the time you run.
00:17Well, I wasn't afraid. I was looking at the hordes.
00:26Prince Eludewin, I listened to your remarks.
00:33Years back, we have been together in the struggle, in exile, when the military was really after all of us.
00:56We are here.
01:00Nigeria is a great nation, and I'm very, very grateful to all of you here tonight.
01:10Grateful to Almighty God for what he has done for me personally.
01:23It wouldn't have been possible without the grace of God, the blessing of him.
01:38Those who are very close to me knew the odds were very much against me.
01:47One of them woke up to my living room at about 3.30 in the morning.
01:59They were in the campaign.
02:04I said, he needed only 50,000 to take to our uncle, because they have no food store.
02:20And you sit there, the currency is gone because of you.
02:27No currency to cash.
02:30People are jumping the counter in the banks and all of that.
02:36Your uncle is worthy and has to do 10,000.
02:47I said, what are you running for?
02:49I said, for President.
02:52I'm not running for my uncle.
02:55I'm not running for me.
02:57For President.
02:59He said, okay, give me 50,000.
03:03I gave him.
03:04I can never forget.
03:10When he was about walking out of the door, he said, I don't think you'll make it.
03:17I said, sure, I'll make it.
03:26I said, you come to me when I make it.
03:32You ask me for job.
03:34I won't give you.
03:38He left.
03:40Not quite some hours early in the morning, I got a call from my uncle.
03:52He got 50,000 and he gave my cousin 10,000 out of it.
04:01So, he's grateful.
04:06I was amazed.
04:08I almost dropped the idea of running.
04:14I've continued the race.
04:24But, thank you, Massary.
04:28Thank you, all of you.
04:35I came to Abuja and Massary led a group and said, okay, I'm the chairman of Northwest group.
04:48He said, don't look back.
04:54We know you are Nigerian.
04:58That's all the tonics I have.
05:05I'm glad you are here tonight.
05:12To all of us, looking forward to it.
05:21When I assumed office, it was extremely difficult.
05:30But, the day of the inauguration, I had to decide on what is not in the original script of my speech.
05:42It's on the subsidy.
05:48I looked straight into the crowd.
05:53I saw very young generations.
06:01People.
06:05I know what is in the open note that I reviewed the night before.
06:17It's a path of no return for my country.
06:21I have to decide.
06:24Whichever way it comes, the hallmark of a great leader is the ability to decide to do what you have to do at the time it also be done.
06:46That was the day I said the subsidy is gone.
06:56The following day, I was handed and abused, thoroughly criticized in the paper.
07:14What I believe in the cause of retooling our economy and changing the narrative of our nation,
07:24not because of me, but because we were spending the money that belongs to our generations yet unborn in advance, ahead of their birth.
07:39It cannot continue.
07:46We revised the situation.
07:50It is less than three years in the office.
07:54The economy has turned red.
07:59We've taught management to ourselves.
08:08We've given value to lives.
08:15Our children are in school.
08:19They must study.
08:20We must invest in critical education and opportunity.
08:25We must achieve food security and sovereignty for our country.
08:33All put together, not because of us, not because of today.
08:41I'm glad those who are here, particularly the Senate President.
08:51We will leave.
08:52You can take a leftover.
08:57And if you have a brown envelope, we'll pack some and we'll take to your courtyard without repressing and harassing you for anything.
09:10I listened to Bashu Tejani.
09:17When I picked him, it was tough.
09:23Even my very close nephews and cousins who read him on social media, they came back to me and said, no, never.
09:35I said, yes, he's talented.
09:39Because he criticizes me and abuses the parliament and others, it doesn't mean that he has nothing to contribute.
09:54If only that frustration will make him contribute more in a multiple way.
10:02And he's doing that.
10:04He's doing that today.
10:05I'm very proud of him.
10:07Thank you very much.
10:12It is a night that I enjoy.
10:16A night that I think 73 calendar years.
10:26And we're about less than 24 months in the administration.
10:40What I think that we blow up in our face is giving us the hope.
10:50And Nigeria is turning around.
11:00I proudly watched Okwepolu, the governor of Edo State, almost barefooted walking around the schools, seeing the dralics of the situation of education in Edo State.
11:22While his predecessor used to brag of the best state, and they have nothing to hand over.
11:35And the thinking and progress of the future of our country.
11:42I thank you very much.
11:47And to all of you, I can only promise that you have inspired me greatly tonight.
12:04I can promise to work harder.
12:11I have a very good and understanding wife who is working harder.
12:20I support the country.
12:22I thank all of you.
12:25I am very, very happy indeed.
12:29Thank you very much.
13:01Thank you very much.