President Bola Tinubu has revealed that he invoked the spirits of wisdom and determination, represented by “Baba Emi lokan,” to overcome obstacles during the election.

He made this disclosure during a visit to the palace of the Awujale of Ijebu-Ode, Sikiru Adetona, as part of his thank-you tour.

During the visit, Tinubu discussed the naira redesign policy introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in the lead-up to the elections.

Despite a court order against enforcing the deadline, the CBN had set February 10 as the cutoff date for the use of old N200, N500, and N1,000 banknotes. Former President Muhammadu Buhari later directed the CBN to reintroduce the old N200 notes.

Expressing his concerns about fund confiscation and the failure of the cashless policy, Tinubu recalled seeking wisdom and guidance from the monarch during a previous visit to the palace.

He shared, “Our money was confiscated. The cashless policy didn’t work, it was terrible then. I realized that I came to this palace to invoke the spirit of freedom which we are noted for. I invoked that spirit twice. The spirit of Baba Emilokan. That’s Baba. Being blunt, being decisive, that’s him, he will tell you. The second spirit is that money or no money (we will do the election and we will win).”

During his visit to the Alake of Egbaland, Adedotun Gbadebo, President Tinubu expressed optimism about Nigeria’s future under his leadership.

He reassured the public, stating, “The hope is recharged; the hope is here. That hope will never fail. That hope will recharge your lives in a positive manner. By the grace of Almighty God, we shall reap the fruits of our labor. Nigeria will see positive change, just endure these baby steps of pain. This country is the only one we have. I have been a refugee, and I know what it means to be a refugee, and my green passport is what I still have now.”