President Muhammadu Buhari bids farewell to Nigeria after eight years of serving in various capacities – governor, minister, head of state, and president. At his final Sallah homage held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, President Buhari expressed his gratitude to the residents of Abuja for tolerating him in the last seven and a half years and declared his eagerness to retire to his hometown in Daura.
President Buhari, who considers himself very lucky to have been a governor, minister, and the President twice, acknowledged the democratic process and the role played by technology and the permanent voters card (PVC) in his 2015 election victory. He also thanked God for giving him an incredible opportunity to serve as the President of Nigeria.
In his farewell speech, President Buhari asked for forgiveness from those he may have hurt during his tenure, and urged everyone to remember that they are all human. The President also took a swipe at those who claimed that they could not get justice at the court, noting that he lost all the election cases he took to the Supreme Court, despite all the justices being from the North and Muslims.
The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Bello, commended the Buhari administration for the tremendous infrastructure transformation witnessed in the FCT under his tenure. He thanked the President for appointing him as minister, describing it as a position he would cherish forever. The presentation of a giant Sallah greetings card to the President was the highlight of the event.
Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), FCT chapter, Rev. Timothy Amakon, thanked God for using Buhari to transform the nation and maintain peace and development in the country. He prayed that God would continue to strengthen him even after he leaves office to continue playing the role of an elder statesman.
The President bid farewell to Nigeria and expressed his gratitude to the people for their support during his presidency. The event was attended by notable personalities such as Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, service chiefs, cabinet members, presidential aides, traditional rulers, business communities, among others.