Criticism won’t distract me from doing the right thing, says Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu says he remains focused on doing what is right despite mounting criticism against his policies.

Tinubu spoke in Abuja on Tuesday at the public presentation of the autobiography of Sule Lamido, the former governor of Jigawa state.

The book, ‘Being True To Myself’, was launched at the NAF Conference Centre in the nation’s capital.

Represented by Mohammed Idris, the minister of information and national orientation, Tinubu said Nigerians are free to criticise his administration objectively.

“The president welcomes constructive criticism at all times in the spirit of freedom of speech and democratic engagement, but he will also never allow himself to be distracted from doing what is right for Nigeria,” the minister said.

Tinubu congratulated Lamido on the book’s launch and described it as an important contribution to Nigeria’s political literature and democratic discourse.

“This is not merely the unveiling of a book. It is the celebration of a life defined by courage, consistency, and commitment to democratic ideals,” he said.

“Sule Lamido, though a staunch member of the political opposition and often a critic of the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), remains one of the strong pillars of Nigeria’s political evolution.”

The president said the book presents Lamido’s reputation as a principled and blunt politician and statesman.

Tinubu said he recommends the book to students, scholars, journalists, and politicians who will “find it instructive for many years”.

The president said he has demonstrated “uncommon audacity and vision” with his reforms to set Nigeria on true growth and development.

“After a somewhat rocky start, owing to the toughness of the inevitable reforms, we are now entering an era of intended beneficial outcomes, underlined by macroeconomic stability,” he said.

Abdulsalami Abubakar, former head of state and chairman of the occasion, described the book as “another valuable addition” to the growing list of books written by key players and actors in Nigeria’s politics and governance space.

Abubakar, who was represented by Attaihru Jega, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said Lamido tried to record his life account “forthrightly and passionately”.

“As good autobiographies are expected to do, he has given us, the readers, a rich personal account of his life, offering us a unique perspective on his background, experiences, challenges, triumphs, and post-factual reflections and analysis,” he said.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who wrote the book’s foreword, narrated how he picked Lamido as minister of foreign affairs during his first tenure as president.

Obasanjo said he appointed Lamido as a minister despite not knowing him personally, adding that the former Jigawa governor has an “admirable character”.