Former President Muhammadu Buhari has urged governors elected under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to focus their leadership on the welfare of Nigerians rather than self-interest.
The former president gave this charge during a courtesy visit by members of the Progressive Governors Forum to his residence in Daura, Katsina State, on Monday. The visit was aimed at fostering party unity and seeking his counsel on leadership.
According to a statement issued Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari stressed the importance of citizen-focused governance and used his own tenure as an example of personal restraint.
“I left office with the same physical assets I had before my presidency,” Buhari reportedly told the governors, underlining his commitment to modesty and service.
He encouraged the APC governors to embrace a citizen-centric approach to governance, describing leadership as a delicate balance of challenges and opportunities that, if properly managed, could steer the country toward sustained progress.
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“I am proud of the progress being made by APC governors,” he said. “Leadership demands sacrifice. Leaders must accord importance to the people’s welfare, not their own.”
Buhari expressed his appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for renovating his Kaduna home, acknowledging the improvements made to the structure despite its unchanged exterior.
He also thanked the governors for the visit, noting that while he had worked with several of them during his time in office, some were new faces he was pleased to meet.
The meeting comes on the heels of the high-profile defection of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP). In a BBC Hausa interview in early March, El-Rufai revealed that he consulted with Buhari before making the move.
“I left the APC with his full knowledge,” El-Rufai stated. “I involve and consult with him on all my matters.”
However, Buhari moved to dispel any assumptions that he is distancing himself from the APC or working against its interest. He reiterated his unwavering loyalty to the party that twice gave him the mandate to lead Nigeria.
© Ripples Nigeria