The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday hailed the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), saying the majority of his achievements are largely unappreciated by Nigerians.
The former Lagos State governor made the statement in a goodwill message that he delivered at the ongoing three-day ministerial retreat for Ministers and Permanent Secretaries in Abuja on Tuesday.
Tinubu, who made a case for the president, said Nigerians should understand that he (Buhari) inherited insecurity and corruption from the previous government.
While making a case for the president in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by his media officer, Tunde Rahman, the APC flagbearer noted that Nigeria’s situation was worsened by the unprecedented severity, complexity and hardship brought about by COVID-19 pandemic which had a crushing impact on both the health sector and global economy.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Enhance Security, Fight Corruption, Transform the Economy’, the APC candidate praised Buhari and his cabinet for not disappointing Nigerians who believed in them and gave them the mandate.
He said, “His (Buhari) labour and achievements may go unappreciated for a moment. However, that unfair moment cannot last. In due course, the full extent of his contributions will become known and understood.
“This administration inherited a national condition steeped in difficulty unlike any other. Predecessor governments ignored or lacked the will to tackle serious problems ranging from insecurity to corruption.
“As if that was not enough, you (Buhari) confronted a series of events, unprecedented in the compound severity, complexity and novelty they posed. COVID attacked both global health and the global economy. Throughout most of your tenure, oil prices waned and ebbed and, consequently, so did our revenues.
“The Ukrainian crisis and other conflicts, coupled with severe weather events in many nations further disrupted economic production and undermined international supply chains of critical items, especially food. You did more than persevere and withstand these adverse storms. Despite it all, you made historic progress.
“Upon entering office, you faced a situation where deadly terrorists were planting flags on our national territory, proclaiming an illegal state within our legitimate state. Because of your collective work, they no longer plant flags. Their boasts of conquest are no longer heard. You put us on the road to defeating this menace. By the grace of God Himself, we shall persist until terrorists and those like them are utterly removed from the face of our nation.
“The progress you made in increasing farm productivity while improving the conditions of the average farmer was important policy interventions, helping the nation overcome the global supply chain disruptions that threatened our food security.
“The Petroleum Industry Act stands as landmark legislation, opening new vistas in the oil and gas sector. And faithful implementation of the electoral law you passed will further enshrine our democratic way of life through the guarantee of free and fair elections.”
As Buhari’s tenure winds down, Tinubu said when elected as president, he would be lucky to be taking over from an administration that has performed greatly, promising to build on the lasting and enduring legacies.
This is even as he expressed optimism that the efforts made by the Buhari administration to set the country on the right path after years of maladministration would never be forgotten by Nigerians even long after they have left.
