- Apologises to people at receiving end of painful decisions taken by his government
- Pledges commitment to Tinubu, APC
- Buhari doesn’t interfere in my government, says Tinubu
The immediate past president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday urged Nigerians to be patient with the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu, saying some hard decisions will be made.
Buhari made this call during the presentation of a book titled, ‘Working with Buhari,’ written by his former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.
In his speech, Buhari apologised to people who were at the receiving end of some painful decisions taken by his administration.
“We kept a record of our stewardship knowing that we will always be required to always account for the trust entrusted to us. This account today is part of the accounting for our two terms in office and I told those who have laboured day and night to ensure that this history is recorded for now and the future.
“Government is a continuum; it is like a relay race. You run your course and hand over the baton to the next person. The present Bola Ahmed Tinubu has my support and confidence in the quest for us to have a country of our dreams where there is emancipation for our teeming population,” he said at the event in Abuja.
Buhari also commended his former spokesman, Adesina for the efforts in compiling his government’s achievements in the book, saying the work of art has served as a way of being accountable to Nigerians.
“Without documentation, human beings often have short memories. Some people will come and attempt to either distort or even obliterate recent history. But the fact in our favour is that nothing was done under the veil of secrecy. We are as transparent and accountable as possible being aware of the fact that posterity is the ultimate judge,” he added.
Buhari also said that he remains committed to the leadership of President Tinubu and his party, the All Progressives Congress.
President Tinubu also said on Tuesday that former President Buhari hasn’t interfered in his administration since he left government in 2023.
“After handing over, you (Buhari) said, ‘I will be far away in Daura but if you need me, contact me. I won’t intrude on whatever you are doing. I won’t interfere. I won’t breathe down on your throat,’” Tinubu said.
Tinubu said rather than interfere, Buhari has partnered with him to make democracy flourish in the country.
“We’ve partnered to make democracy flourish in Nigeria, thank you.
“Except when I call him (on the phone) to say, ‘Are you living, are you going to the farm?’, you don’t hear from him (Buhari) either to nominate or intrude in the cabinet or complain about issues. Thank you for being who you are,” the President said.
Tinubu added, “When President Buhari was leaving office he said he would retire to Daura, far away from Abuja to enjoy his well-deserved retirement from public service.
“I remember he added that if his supporters and friends deny him enough rest in Daura, he would run to the Republic of Niger. Well, as you all know, he can no longer escape to the Niger Republic because of the border closure.
“I am therefore extremely happy to receive him here in Abuja. We are all here today to honour a great man, a patriot, a dedicated public servant who has offered his best in the service of our country since he joined the army in 1962 at age 18.”
Tinubu also reiterated his commitment to resolving challenges that remained unresolved during the administration of his predecessor, with a promise to stamp out insecurity across the country.
He said though Buhari served the country during a critical time, the former President served with dedication and uncommon zeal.
He added, “President Buhari assumed office at a very difficult period of our national life when the economy was spiraling into recession and Boko Haram had taken over swaths of our territory in the North East. At a point it appeared even Abuja, the seat of government, would fall into the hands of Boko Haram with the bombing of the UN Building, Banex Plaza, Nyanya and other locations within the Federal Capital Territory.
“We cannot easily forget how our Armed Forces battled the Boko Haram terrorists under the leadership of President Buhari to reclaim our territory and push them to the fringes of Lake Chad where they no longer pose an existential threat to our sovereignty.
“I must say the job of securing every inch of our country is yet to be finished. My government will stamp out the remaining vestiges of Boko Haram, Ansaru, banditry and kidnapping gangs. We won’t rest until every agent of darkness is completely rooted out.”
The book “Working with Buhari” was written by a former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Buhari, Femi Adesina, and reviewed by Shola Oshunkeye, a former CNN Journalist of the Year.
The book “Muhammadu Buhari: The Nigerian Legacy – 2015 – 2023 (Vols 1-5), was reviewed by the Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Professor Eghosa Osaghae, and a Professor of Political Science, Kabiru Mayo, and edited by Dr Udu Yakubu.
Amongst those in attendance at the event were, President Tinubu; former Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo (SAN); former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon; former Minister for Aviation, Hadi Abubakar Sirika, former First Lady, Aisha Buhari; Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, among several others.
Buhari governed Nigeria as President from 2015 to 2023 and handed over to President Tinubu after serving the constitutional two-term tenure.
