All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant Asiwaju Bola Tinubu yesterday urged Nigerians to rededicate themselves to the task of nation-builidng “as never before”.
“Let us reach out to one another as never before and, together, build our lives and this nation as never before,” he said in his Easter message to the country.
The former Lagos State governor said Nigeria will overcome its challenges.
Tinubu said in the contest between what is good and bad, “what is right and human shall win”.
Urging Nigerias to treat each other “as God intended brothers and sisters to be”, he said “in the process, we shall build a better and more just society”.
Reflecting on the current national challenges, the eminent politician said some critics have deluded themselves into thinking that the country has failed and “can no longer be good”.
Tinubu said they restricted themselves to their opinion because they underrated the resilience and power of Nigeria to triumph.
He said: Sceptic and critics have written us off. They say we have failed and can no longer be good. They are wrong because they do not know us. Yes, challenges face us. But, we also face them. And we shall face them down.
Tinubu, in the statement personally signed by him, said the country should be grateful to God for his mercies and benevolence.
He said as Christians in Nigeria and the world over celebrated the joyous occasion, all people should take a precious moment to reflect on the profound meaning of the day.
Urging Nigerians to imbibe the lessons, Tinubu said: “Easter speaks to a remarkable, triumphant rebirth after tremendous struggle and ordeal. It teaches a crucial lesson: In the contest of peace versus strife, good versus evil, and love versus hate, darkness may come and, for a time, seem to win. But ultimately, what is right and humane shall win.”
The statement reads: “Jesus sacrificed himself for the wellbeing of others. For his goodness, he was ridiculed, tried, and convicted in the worst of ways. The wrongdoers thought they defeated him. They indeed were wrong. He overcome their cruelty to achieve that which he was brought into this world to achieve. He withstood so much to reach his destiny. In so doing, he brought forth a new faith that has been the fountain of spiritual uplift to billions of people for over two centuries.
“To the extent possible, we must try to emulate his morals and ethics in our personal and public lives. His devotion and selflessness, we must imitate. His sense of justice, we must reflect. Jesus’s compassion for all and his special love for the downcast and downtrodden, we must revere and honor in all that we do.
“This goes for each of us as individual Nigerians. It equally goes for us as a nation. Skeptics and critics have written us off. They say we have failed and can no longer be good. They are wrong because they do not know us. Yes, challenges face us, but we also face them. And we shall face them down.
“We take heart in the life and lessons of Jesus. The extent to which we learn these lessons, is the extent that Nigeria shall enjoy a rebirth and claim its greater triumph.
“We have not and cannot falter. Our nation’s best still lies ahead.
“On this Easter, I join my Christian brothers and sisters in celebrating the example and teachings of Jesus. Let us reach out to one another as never before and, together, build our lives and this nation as never before.
“May God give us the wisdom and commitment to improve this land as He intended. May our service to Him and to mankind be of the compassion, peace, selflessness, and devotion to a higher purpose that Jesus demonstrated.
“Let us give the best of ourselves that we may achieve the reward of a better nation for all.
“Let us treat each other as God intended brothers and sisters to be. In the process, we shall build a better and more just society. Let the spirit of this special season live with and in us throughout the year.
“A happy and peaceful Easter to you all. May God bless you and your household. May He bless this nation that he has given us and give unto us the prudence and vision to construct this land as he intended it to be.”
