With just 38 days left in his presidency, Muhammadu Buhari apologized to Nigerians for any hurt caused during his administration. The President acknowledged feeling fortunate and satisfied as a politician, having previously held positions such as military governor of Borno State in 1976, Minister of Petroleum Resources in the same year, and Head of State from 1983 to 1985.
During the ninth and final Sallah homage held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Buhari expressed gratitude to the citizens for enduring his eight-year presidency, which began with his inauguration on May 29, 2015. He hosted a controlled number of guests and used the opportunity to apologize to those he may have hurt during his tenure.
Buhari said, “Those that think that I have hurt them so much, please pardon me. I think this is a very good coincidence for me to say goodbye to you and thank you for tolerating me for more than seven and a half years. I honestly consider myself very lucky; I was made a governor, minister of petroleum, head of state in uniform, then after three attempts, God, through technology and PVC, I became president. I think God has given me an incredible opportunity to serve as your president. And I thank God for that. So, please, whoever feels I have done wrong to them, we are all humans. There is no doubt I hurt some people, and I wish you will pardon me. And those that think that I have hurt them so much, please pardon me.”
Buhari’s Retirement Plan
The President also shared his retirement plans, saying, “I am counting the days. Democracy is a good thing; otherwise, how can somebody from the other side be a president for two terms? From my hometown to the Niger Republic is eight kilometers. I assure you, I have deliberately arranged to be as far away from you as possible, not because I don’t appreciate the love you’ve shown me, but because I think I’ve gotten what I have asked, and I would rather quietly retire to my hometown (Daura, Katsina).”
