With only 38 days left in office, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Friday, in Abuja, asked Nigerians hurt by his policies for a pardon.
Buhari described himself as a lucky and fulfilled politician, having served as military governor of Borno State in 1976, Minister of Petroleum Resources in the same year and one-time Head of State (1983 – 1985).
He thanked citizens for “tolerating” his eight-year regime, which began when he was sworn in as President on May 29, 2015.
“Those that think that I have hurt them so much, please pardon me,” Buhari said when he hosted a controlled number of guests at the ninth and final Sallah homage held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“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,” said the president.
Speaking of his retirement plans, the president echoed his desire to wash his hands off party politics for a while and stay away from the FCT.
He said, “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 home town 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 to me, but because I think I’ve gotten what I have asked and I would rather quietly retire to my hometown (Daura, Katsina).”
The president faulted the narrative that justice cannot be found in courts due to nepotism and ethnic sentiments, arguing that all Supreme Court justices in the election cases he took to the court in 2003, 2007 and 2011 were all Northern Muslims. Yet, he lost.
The chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, FCT chapter, Timothy Amakon, thanked the President for transforming the nation and prayed that God strengthens him to continue serving as an elder statesman after office.
The Executive Director of the Al-Halbbiya Foundation, Adeyemi Faud, commended the cordial relationship shared by Christians and Muslims residing in the FCT.
On his part, the senator representing the FCT, Philip Aduda, thanked Buhari for engendering political tolerance.
Aduda, who has served as Senator for twelve years, said although he won his mandate on the platform of the main opposition, Peoples Democratic Party, the president did not insist that the senatorial seat goes to a member of the governing All Progressives Congress.
The Sallah homage involving members of the FCT community was attended by vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmed Lawan, Minister of the FCT, Mohammed Bello, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, the president’s Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, service chiefs, cabinet members, presidential aides, traditional rulers, the business community, among others.