Nigerian youths hold birthday dinner for Tinubu as businessman donates ₦10m

Some Nigerian youths, under the aegis of the Nigerian Youth in Politics (NYP) in collaboration with Tinubu/Shettima Movement, organised a birthday dinner in honour of the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

The event, which was held in Lagos on Saturday, April 1, 2023, came three days after the birthday of the former Lagos State governor who clocked 71 on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.

In his opening remarks, the Vice President of the NYP, Olufowobi Olanrewaju Desmond, thanked all the Nigerian youths for their contributions to the emergence of Tinubu as the President-elect, as well as those who campaigned and contested for positions.

He noted that the essence of the dinner was to lay the foundation for a bigger victory and birthday party for Tinubu, which will be done simultaneously in all the 36 states across the country and the Federal Capital Territory.

Desmond said the proposed party was conceived to let Nigerians know that there are youths who worked hard for the victory of Tinubu and that they cut across all the states of the federation.

He said the NYP organised a series of programmes to mobilise the youths before the election, including the Progressives Youth Carnival held in Ikeja last September and a symposium that was attended by over 100 youths at the Liberty Stadium, Ibadan.

Desmond's words: "We're celebrating Asiwaju's birthday, not just the birthday but also his victory because we believed it wasn't Asiwaju's victory, it was the Nigerian youths' victory.

"If you can recall the efforts that we made during the electioneering period in this country. We went to nooks and crannies of this country campaigning to people who are dogged and people who already hold a position against this person for no reason it's always very tense and very difficult but we broke the shackles.

"That's why we're having this birthday as well as the victory party which will come up by April 29."

In his remarks, a real estate mogul, Dr Agbi Stephen Omobamidele, pledged to donate 150 cows to the upcoming mega birthday and victory celebration.

Omobamidele, who is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of AS Wonder Home and Properties, presented a cheque of ₦10 million to the event organisers towards redeeming his promise.

Speaking further, he expressed his happiness over the prospect of a Tinubu presidency, particularly due to his promise to create a mortgage system for Nigerians to acquire homes at affordable rates.

Also speaking at the event, Adetokunbo Adesina, said the duo of Tinubu and the Vice President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima, possess the needed experiences to usher Nigeria into the next level of development.

He said: "I don't see Shettima as a Muslim, I see Shettima as a vice that will mean that for the first time, we don't have a spare tire. We have two presidents for one. We have one that, when the other one is doing something, he can focus on another thing.

"If you look at the election, these are the only two people that acted like brothers, They complemented each other. Asiwaju gave his stage to Shettima for you guys to understand the kind of VP you're getting.

"So, for the first time, we have two people that can actually be president in president and vice. So, beyond religion, beyond ethnicity, I think Nigeria has been given a gift of two people that can actually take this country where it needs to be."

Also present at the dinner was the Chairman, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) joint Campus Committee Lagos State, Comrade Olusesi Tolulope, who spoke about Tinubu's contributions to education as well his plans for Nigerian students.

"That was the person that laid down the good foundation of education in Lagos State.

"When it comes to discovering youths and discovering students in politics, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed is still far from them," Tolulope said.