Despite criticism by Bosun Tijani, President Bola Tinubu claims to have nominated him as the minister of communications, innovation, and the digital economy.
At a special Iftar hosted in the president’s honour at the presidential house to commemorate his 73rd birthday, Tinubu responded to Tijani’s remark.
Tijani considered his selection by Tinubu despite his prior activity and criticism of the president and the National Assembly while giving a message of goodwill to the president during the ceremony.
“Before my appointment, I had never met Mr. President. But after my confirmation, he told me, ‘I have looked at your records and activism, and I have seen there is something in you,’” Tijani said.
“’I am giving you the opportunity to represent your country and contribute to making it a better place’.
“I was expecting a proper scolding because of my records, but the magnanimity of the president is one that I experienced for the very first time in my life.
“I remember that in that meeting, some people brought out my record again and told Mr. President, ‘He said this, he did this.’ But the president said, ‘Shut it.’”
‘CLOSE ASSOCIATES ASKED ME NOT TO APPOINT TIJANI
In response to the minister, Tinubu acknowledged that the president’s close aides’ reluctance made it challenging to nominate Tijani as a minister.
Tijani’s previous dissatisfaction, according to Tinubu, now motivates him to work in government, making him “very proud.”
“When I picked him, it was tough. My very close confidantes, who had read his comments on social media, came to me and said, ‘No, never.’ I said, ‘Yes, he is talented,” Tinubu said.
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“Because he criticises me and pours abuses on the parliament, it does not mean he has nothing to offer.
“Maybe his frustration at that time will drive him to contribute more to governance. And today, he is doing that, and I am very proud of him.”
‘SENATE OPPOSED TIJANI’S NOMINATION AS MINISTER’
Recalling the heated discussion that followed Tijani’s confirmation as a minister, Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended Tinubu’s capacity for forgiving detractors.
“When he came to the senate for screening, senators said, ‘No, no, we can’t have him.’ One senator quoted from the internet where he described all Nigerian senators as ‘morons’,” Akpabio said.
“I had to stop proceedings and ask Bosun, ‘Did you write this?’ And he admitted, ‘Sir, I did because that was how I felt then.’”
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Akpabio said he then asked Tijani, “You have the audacity to stand before us and expect us to confirm you?”
The lawmaker said Tinubu’s judgment and the lawmakers’ trust in the president was what ultimately swayed the lawmakers to approve Tijani’s appointment.
“Mr. President, we confirmed him because we knew you must have seen something special in him. You are never wrong when it comes to your judgment of people,” Akpabio said.
“I went into an executive session and told my colleagues, Let us give this young man an opportunity and see what happens.”
Tijani is among the cabinet’s top-performing ministers, Akpabio continued.
