Buhari says he’ll carry everyone along, won’t compromise national unity

President Muhammadu Buhari at separate events on Wednesday promised to carry everyone along as democratically elected president and would do everything to promote the nation’s unity.

He promised to carry everyone along in his Next Level government when he received some of the ministers who served with him when he was the Head of State between January 1984 and August 1985.

According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari while addressing the former ministers, recalled “how we got things done then,” because it was a military administration, and pledged to “carry everyone along on my last lap as a democratically elected leader.”

He also thanked the former ministers “for being consistently in touch” and particularly lauded the military for building Abuja as new federal capital for the country.

After observing a minute silence in memory of those who have died among the former ministers, the leader of the delegation, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, who served as the Minister of External Affairs, said the team came to congratulate Buhari on his achievements in security, foreign affairs, anti-corruption, education, and many others.

He said: “We were appointed 35 years and nine months ago. At least 18 of us were sworn in. Your leadership was firm, but you also gave us a free rein to operate. You knew what each person was doing. We will never forget the opportunity you gave us. We remain patriots,” Gambari said.

He commended the President on the newly constituted Economic Advisory Council, adding that the same should be considered for security and foreign affairs.

At another event, when Benue State Council of Traditional Rulers led by the Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse, paid him a courtesy visit, Buhari assured that he was committed to ensuring the unity of Nigeria and would do everything to promote it.

A statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President said the crisis between farmers and herdsmen was not religious, but arose from socio-cultural factors.

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He said there was a need for Nigerians to better appreciate the historical relationship among various communities in order to sustain the nation’s unity.

“President Buhari decried the misunderstanding of internal conflicts by many people at home and abroad, citing the farmer-herder’s clashes which in several places had been misconstrued as religious, when in fact they arose from social and cultural factors,” the statement said.

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