President Muhammadu Buhari has said he is “eager” to leave the government and hand over to his successor because “it’s been tough.”
The president said this while receiving some governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC), legislators and political leaders at his residence in Daura, Katsina State, on Monday.
The President had travelled to Daura on Friday ahead of the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.
Buhari told his guests that he would retire to his home town and not Kaduna State where he was prior to his coming to power.
“By this time next year, I would have made the most out of the two terms, and the remaining months I will do my best,” he said.
The President told the governors and political leaders that he had not been to his house in Daura for close to a year due to the demands of office.
“I wish the person who is coming after me the very best,” he said.
“I am eager to go. I can tell you it has been tough. I am grateful to God that people appreciate the personal sacrifices we have been making,” he added.
On the campaign podiums across the country in 2015, Buhari had summed up his assignment under three headings. He said he would rid the country of corruption, end the reign of terror or insurgency in the North-East and revamp the economy.
Speaking in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital in January 2015, Buhari had said, “The fundamental issue facing this country is insecurity and the problem of the economy, which was being made worse by corruption.
“I assure you that we are going to finally assemble a competent team of Nigerians to efficiently manage the country. I am appealing to you, the damage done to this country is great. The level of unemployment, level of insecurity is intolerable. The journey has begun. It will take time, it will take patience; it will take support from you to make sure that we succeed.”
Capitalising on the nation’s poor economic outlook under former President Goodluck Jonathan, Buhari had declared that if elected as President to replace Jonathan, he would make Nigeria “one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.”
But after seven years in power, the Buhari government has amassed huge foreign debts for the country, as inflation continues to rise and unemployment worsens.
For many Nigerians, the big monster has been insecurity with bandits, kidnappers, Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram having a free reign of terror under the Buhari shadowy government.