President Bola Tinubu has narrated how the spirit of ‘Emi lokan’, which, according to him, symbolizes freedom and determination, helped him overcome the obstacles of the cashless policy and win the 2023 presidential election.
The president said he invoked the spirit twice in Ogun State when the cashless policy proved to be a hurdle to his presidential ambition.
He spoke yesterday in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State when he visited the palaces of the paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, and the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, in Abeokuta, the state capital.
Recounting how the confiscation of naira and the cashless policy in the build-up to the election were sources of concern to him, Tinubu said he sought wisdom and guidance from Oba Adetona during his visit to the palace.
“Our monies were confiscated. The cashless policy didn’t work; it was terrible then. I realized that I came to Ogun State to invoke the spirit of freedom that 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,” he explained.
Recall that Tinubu made the epochal ‘Emi lokan speech, which literarily means “it is my turn” in Yoruba, before the APC primaries, when there were speculations that the then-presidency of Buhari wanted to deny him the party’s presidential ticket.
After his political mavericks saw him clinch the APC ticket, the Naira redesign policy of the CBN under Goodwin Emefiele weeks before the election was also speculated to have been introduced to frustrate the former Lagos governor, who was believed to have stockpiled money in cash for the election.
