President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday reunited with his predecessor, former President Muhammadu Buhari, at the public presentation of books on the administration of the ex-president in Abuja.
In his speech, Tinubu noted the challenges Buhari faced during his eight years in office and praised his achievements, particularly in infrastructure development.
Tinubu acknowledged the difficulties Buhari faced in office, including a struggling economy and the Boko Haram insurgency.
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He recalled the military’s efforts under Buhari to “reclaim our territory and push Boko Haram to the fringes of Lake Chad where they no longer pose existential threat to our sovereignty.”
Tinubu vowed to “stamp out the remaining vestiges of Boko Haram, Ansaru, banditry and kidnapping gangs” and not rest “until every agent of darkness is completely rooted out.”
He praised a five-volume book on the Buhari legacy for recording his achievements.
“It will be said glowingly of President Buhari that in his eight turbulent years, marked by acute shortage of revenue, Covid-19 pandemic that shut down the global economy for almost two years, his administration embarked on the most ambitious infrastructural renewal for the country,” Tinubu said.
Despite the challenges, Tinubu celebrated Buhari’s achievements, particularly in infrastructural renewal.
He identified such projects to include the Second Niger Bridge, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, and the Abuja-Kaduna rail line, saying they are evidence of Buhari’s commitment to development.
Tinubu further pledged to complete ongoing projects like the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway and build upon Buhari’s foundation.
He stated, “our administration will endeavour to resolve them. As I said during the campaigns, I inherited all his assets and liabilities.”
The president assured Nigerians that his administration would “continue to work, from where President Buhari stopped, to make our country better, create a vibrant economy and secure the environment to bring more prosperity to our people.”
The event saw the presentation of two books: “Working with Buhari: Reflections of a Special Adviser, Media and Publicity (2015-2023)” by Femi Adesina and “Muhammadu Buhari: The Nigerian Legacy (2015-2023),” a five-volume collection.
In attendance at the event were former Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo; former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon; and former Minister for Aviation, Hadi Abubakar Sirika, among others.