Pulse List: Top 5 Tinubu’s moments and quotes of 2024

As expected of a leader of any nation, President Bola Tinubu is undoubtedly a news magnet. His actions, pronouncements, and even steps always elicit interesting but varied reactions from Nigerians. Right from the moment he stepped into the highest office in the land, many Nigerians knew they were in for a fascinating ride, one laden with controversies and contestations. After the honeymoon period or sort heralding his first few months in office, 2024 presented a challenging year for the President as his fuel subsidy removal and naira floatation policies had gripping effects on the masses, triggering concerns and grumblings across the nation. These challenges subjected Tinubu’s manoeuvring skills to navigate the inherent perils of leading a country to an acid test. Amidst everything, the President stayed true to his character in the outgoing year, delivering some memorable moments and remarks that had the ever-curious nation in rapt attention. As the year gradually winds up and political activities become drowned by the bustling festivities of the Yuletide, Pulse looks back at some quotes and moments that defined Tinubu’s presidency in 2024. Falling on stage and prostrating for democracy Call it an accident, occupational hazard, or mischievously, an ageing effect, Tinubu missed his step and had a nasty fall on the presidential truck during this year’s Democracy Day celebration on June 12. Dressed in his flowing white agbada, finished with a black Yoruba traditional cap embroidered with his signature logo, the President arrived at the Eagles Square venue of the event all pumped. After delivering a speech and observing other customary protocols, it was time for the President to stroll around the venue in his presidential truck to acknowledge everyone present. However, as he was about to step into the vehicle, Tinubu tripped and struggled to clutch onto the guardrails with his two hands but the momentum was too strong he couldn’t help himself. The President landed heavily on the ground, his face downwards but his security details nearby swiftly assisted him to get back on his feet before proceeding to enter the presidential truck to wave at the crowd. The moment was captured on camera and some Nigerians expressed worries about the president’s state, while others used the incident to call attention to his age and why he’s probably too old to bear the brunt of the office. Meanwhile, Tinubu reappeared at the Democracy Day banquet a few hours after the accident, making light of the fall to deflate the situation. He described his hitting the deck as a sign of paying respect to the historic day in the Nigerian political calendar in a way that represented his Yoruba culture of prostration. “Early this morning, I had a swagger and it’s on the social media. They’re confused about whether I was doing buga or doing babanriga. But it’s a day to celebrate democracy while doing dobale for the day. I’m a traditional Yoruba boy, I did my dobale,” the President said jocularly. Throwing jibe at NLC Tinubu threw a jibe at the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), taunting the unionists to focus on their main objectives in the interim and wait until 2027 to participate in the electoral process. The President’s comments, made during the inauguration of the first phase of the Red Line Rail service at the iconic Ikeja Station in Lagos in February, came after a series of protests and strikes by organised labour over hikes in petrol prices. The outburst came exactly two days after the NLC held a nationwide protest over the economic hardship in the country. The Tinubu government at the time was at loggerheads with labour unions over claims that the government had failed to implement most of the agreements they had post-subsidy removal. Tinubu said, “Allow me to throw a jibe here, the Labour Union should understand that no matter how long we cling to our freedom and rights, to call four strikes within within nine months of an administration is unacceptable. “If you want to participate in the electoral process, wait until 2027. If not maintain peace. You are not the only voice of Nigerians.” Reacting, the NLC asked the President to concentrate his energy on finding solutions to the myriad of challenges in Nigeria rather than engaging in rhetoric with organised labour. The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, challenged Tinubu to provide evidence of fulfilling any agreement reached with organised labour within nine months of his administration. Historical State Visit to France Tinubu, alongside his wife Senator Oluremi, was an August of France President Emmanuel Macron, who invited the Nigerian leader to a historic state visit in November. The President jetted off to France, where he was officially received by Macron and his wife, H.E Brigitte Macron at a ceremony held at the historic Invalides military complex in Paris. The French leader rolled out the drums as Tinubu arrived at the Foyer of the National Des Invalides, a site famed for its military museum and historic significance. Anthems of the two nations rang out in the courtyard of one of Paris’ landmarks, kicking off a visit intended to strengthen bilateral relations between Nigeria and France. During the reception, Tinubu also inspected a guard of honour, symbolising a renewed effort to deepen diplomatic ties between the European giant and Africa’s most populous country. The trip, the first official state visit by a Nigerian leader in more than two decades, was as historical as grand. It represented a significant moment for Tinubu personally and a promising look for his administration. When Tinubu went off the radar due to a faulty jet It’s not so often to hear the disappearance of a president for two weeks. That appeared to be the case when Tinubu went off the radar for a fortnight or thereabout due to a faulty presidential jet. On April 23, the President embarked on a three-day official trip to The Netherlands to honour the invitation of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. From there, he was billed to connect Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to participate in the World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth, and Energy for Development, slated for April 28–29. But, reports said Tinubu travelled to the Arab country via a chattered plane after the presidential jet that took him to Holland developed a fault and was taken for maintenance. It was reported that the second presidential jet he could have flown to Saudi also developed a technical issue. With the two aircraft grounded, the president’s aides, ministers, and other government officials were equally forced to fly to the summit on commercial airlines, leaving the faulty jets behind. After his engagement in Saudi, the President failed to return to Nigeria as scheduled and went out of the public eye for a few days, sparking speculations about his whereabouts due to non-communication from the presidency. Subsequently, reports emerged that the Federal Government had approved the purchase of a new presidential jet, triggering fresh anger among Nigerians. Tinubu declares lawmakers re-elected Reacting to the obvious error, the lawmakers seated corrected the President.