By Augustine Aminu
President Muhammadu Buhari has assured the All Progressives Congress (APC) party supporters that he will continue to campaign for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the ‘next president of Nigeria.’
The President spoke before a mammoth crowd at the presidential campaign rally in Lafia square, where he endorsed the candidature of the Presidential candidate, Tinubu, his running mate, Kashim Shettima and the second-term bid of Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State.
He thanked party supporters for defying the hot weather and standing in the sun for hours to express their support for the party’s flag bearers in the forthcoming presidential and gubernatorial elections.
‘‘I congratulate and assure you that God willing we are going to win through and through. As Tinubu said in his speech, I have known him for more than 20 years, and I will continue to campaign for Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He is a committed Nigerian and I believe he will give all his best to Nigeria.
‘‘Also vote for Abdullahi Sule for a second and final term as governor’’ he said.
The APC presidential candidate thanked the President for being the ‘‘poster boy’’ of his campaign, fighting and working hard for the survival of Nigeria.
‘‘Nigeria is surviving as a nation. Because of constitutional democracy we would have asked you to continue, but you said no, you are going back to Daura, your hometown’’ he said.
Tinubu also used the occasion to chide those insinuating that he is having a frosty relationship with the President, saying:
‘‘Those who think there are cracks in our friendship and relationship would continue to be disappointed and have their short-term joy limited. Ours is not about the individual but about nation building, honesty, integrity and character,’’ he said.
The APC presidential candidate, who compared President Buhari to great and courageous leaders like Abraham Lincoln, praised him for remaining focused in the midst of distractions.
He promised that under his presidency, Nigeria will recover from all challenges because of the courage and resilience of its citizens.
Tinubu added that his administration would prioritize agriculture, build the nation’s mineral resources and create wealth for Nigerians.
‘‘We will work hard. We promise you that your children and grandchildren will have no regret about this nation and ourselves,’’ he said.
Earlier, President Buhari had commissioned a N3.1 billion Federal Secretariat complex on Nasarawa State.
The edifice is expected to accommodate all the federal government ministries, departments and agencies ((MDAs) under one conducive working environment.
The project is situated on a 10.9 hectares of land and awarded on December 9, 2011 at an original contract sum of N2,335,338,560.63 but revised by the Muhammadu Buhari administration to N3,120,718,297.93.
Speaking when Buhari commissioned the project, Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola said that the project which was completed on September 8, 2022, has the potential to accommodate between 2,000 and 2,300 staffers from several MDAs who have already indicated interest in moving into the facility.
According to Fashola, the complex has 498 office spaces, one exhibition hall, two multi-purpose halls, one reception area, one conference hall, four committee rooms and parking space for over 300 vehicles.
“I am proud to say that we have delivered on your mandate which is to move the federal civil servants in Nasarawa State who are operating from rented buildings to one secretariat. This project has been delivered to an entire village. And that village, not only include the federal government workers, members of Federal Executive Council (FEC), who supported this project; the National Assembly, the state government of Nasarawa State.
“From Governor Tanko Almakura to Governor Abdullahi Sule who provided a very safe environment to the contractor to deliver this project.
“Your Excellency, it might interest you to know that the contractor is a company called Faplins Nigeria Limited. But more interestingly, he is a member of the opposition party. So, while your party dislodged the opposition party, it did not dislodge the contractor from business. So, it continued and delivered and Nasarawa people were very receptive. What we have now is a built up of 6,702 square metres. It contains 402 offices. It has car parks capable of accommodating 300 cars as well as many other facilities including a staff canteen” said Fashola