President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday in Daura, Katsina State, appeared to contradict Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai about where he would live after finishing his tenure in 2023.
El-Rufai had told State House correspondents in December 2021 that “the President is a Kaduna-based citizen. He is originally from Katsina state, but he spent most of his life in Kaduna. And he’s retiring to Kaduna.”
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But according to a statement by presidential spokesman Garba Shehu on Monday, Buhari told some governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC), at his Daura residence that he would retire to Daura, not Kaduna, where he had a better house.
The president, who told the governors and political leaders that he had not been to his house in Daura for close to a year due to the demands of office, Kaduna is too close to Abuja.
“The observation that I abandoned my base was made by the Emir of Daura, Dr Faruk Umar Faruk, at the eid prayer ground. He held the microphone and told everyone that the last time I was in Daura was during the Eid-el-Kabir of 2021,” he added.
President Buhari said he would retire to Daura, not Kaduna, where he had a better house.
“In ten to eleven months time, I will come here. I have a better house in Kaduna, but it is too close to Abuja,’’ he said.
The President explained that the schedule of work was much, saying he recently had to sympathise with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema, who had to be away most of the time from his family.
President Buhari urged the APC stalwarts to keep working for the good of the people and the country, noting that “ We are a lucky people, and we need to reflect more on where we are coming from.”
The President said relative to the resources available, and compared to the last administration, the government had done well in many areas, particularly in infrastructure.
“I wish the person who is coming after me the very best,” he said.
On security, the President said the North West had posed more challenges, and some success had been recorded in other regions, North East and South South.
President Buhari advised some indigenes in the South South to stop hurting national assets, which also affect their livelihood.
“I am eager to go. I can tell you it has been tough. I am grateful to God that people appreciate the personal sacrifices we have been making,” he added.
In his remarks at the meeting, the Chairman of Progressive Governors’ Forum, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, thanked the President for his leadership roles in improving the economy of the nation and the many successes recorded at the APC, which include two conventions to produce the party leadership and the presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
“We will work hard to ensure the success of our party. We have reasons to work very hard,” he added.
Bagudu, who is the Governor of Kebbi State, said the favorable seasons supported the vision of ensuring food production and making agriculture a priority, with clear results in rice pyramids in various states.
“In spite of the attacks by the renegades, our country remains self-sufficient in food production. We have seen investments that were not there before you came into power.
“Not less than 20 states now have agriculture process zones. We have rice pyramid in Ekiti, Gombe and Niger, while maize pyramids were revived in Katsina and Kano states,” he said.
He said more than 54 rice meals were commissioned in various states, and 57 fertiliser plants were revived, or built afresh.
“All these were achieved because of your commitment and patriotism,” the governor told the President.
Bagudu also appreciated the President for providing ease of access to governors and political leaders, noting that the opening of the National Economic Council for more fluid exchange of ideas greatly helped in improving the economy.
APC Governors at the lunch with the President; Katsina State, Rt Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, Kaduna State, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello, Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Ekiti State, Dr Fayemi Kayode, Plateau State, Simon Lalong and Kebbi State, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.
