President Muhammadu Buhari has said he will be heading to Kadina State after handing over on Monday contrary to the impression he would go straight to his home town in Daura, Katsina State.
He stated on Friday at the launch of the book “A promise kept, a compendium of significant achievements of Muhammadu Buhari administration 2015-2023”, held at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja.
The President also lashed out at opposition parties in the 2023 General Elections for creating the impression of incompetent party leadership, and a chaotic elections to the international community.
Buhari, who said though he is looking desperately forward to Monday when he will finally exit the seat of power, also disclosed that he would use the weekend to sign some of the papers so that from Eagles Square he will take off.
The President commended the MBO Dynamic Support Group led by Usman Ibrahim, for managing to catch him completely off guard.
“I thank you very much for this major surprise, I think now when I go back I will have time to read some books, not just about myself, but about other issues.
I assure you, I have been counting the days, I am looking forward to Monday very desperately. I will use the weekend to sign some of the papers so that from Eagles Square, I will fly to Kaduna and eventually go to Daura.
“I think by my profession, I spent most of my time that is the military for 20 years, there wasn’t this surprise. If you allow yourself to be taken by surprise you will be virtually be overwhelmed.
I wasn’t expecting this honestly. Especially today when I need to sign few papers because I know on Monday, from the swearing in venue I will fly directly to Kaduna and then I will go to the other side of Nigeria”, he said.
The President stated that the APC had achieved its set objective as a political party, noting that the last elections were transparent as people voted their choice candidates.
He said citizens were not influenced by money, judging by the outcome of the exercise where serving governors and lawmakers lost their bids for re-election.
The President said what his administration and the party wanted to achieve was to develop a firm political culture.
“Thank you for surprising me with your generosity and kindness. I think the achievement we wanted is to make we developed a firm political culture. I think I was expecting too much.
When I was in Doha, meeting some heads of states, I was getting calls from Europe, America and Nigeria, congratulating us on the success of elections.
“The opposition has created the impression outside the country that we are going into a mess because we have incompetent leadership of the party. They were overwhelmed that the election came and went and both at the center and at the states, fantastic”, he said.
He further said, “How can ten sitting governors of states lose their constituencies, this has been unprecedented. So I congratulate you the national working committee (of the APC) and others here, that we have really proved that democracy is worth defending.
“Nigerians have understood it now, otherwise how can they vote against their sitting governors stopping them from going to the senate to rest.
“So they were really overwhelmed and I congratulate our politically development. Please congratulate your constituencies, it means that even though you have excess money, they will collect and put in their pockets but they will elect the person they trust from any constituency, either House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate until it comes to the president itself.
“Because, it was so transparent, everything was done there in front of everybody. And committee by committee from various constituencies lined up and picked the candidate they want. So really, we have virtually politically arrived. I congratulate our party.
“Today, we prayed together with Asiwaju (Bola Tinubu) and I congratulated him and I said I am eager to go to other side of Nigeria. I wish him the best of luck.
I said his Vice President is experienced, a two time governor in his state and then the senate. And this is how we got the chairman of our party, two time governor in his state and also he has been in the senate,” he said.
