President Muhammadu Buhari, in the course of the week, presented the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to the Emir of Katsina, Abdulmumini Kabir-Usman, for his support in Feb. 25 presidential election.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the president equally presented the APC presidential candidate to the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III for his blessings and support on Thursday in Sokoto.
While presenting Asiwaju to Emir of Katsina on Monday, President Buhari again pledged to ensure electoral victory for Tinubu, at the Feb. 25 presidential election.
He enjoined the Emir, Abdulmumini Kabir-Usman and Emirate Council to mobilise for the political leader.
”We are here to present our candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the President said during a courtesy call in the palace.
“Asiwaju has been chosen by our party and we are fully in support of his candidature, and we will work for his victory at the polls.”
The president also used the opportunity to personally condole the leaders and citizens of Katsina State following the recent terrorist attack on vigilantes in Bakori Local Government area of the state, in which many lives were lost.
At the Sultan’s Palace, President Buhari and Tinubu said: “We have come here to ask for your support and blessings; we want to win the coming elections.”
Tinubu, the first to speak and the first to bait the Sultan, said plainly to leader of the Sokoto Caliphate:
While echoing the same line, President Buhari said: ”My wish is for your support and blessings; we want to win.”
He went on to narrate the qualities of the candidates, including their common belief and commitment to the unity and progress of every section of the country.
According to him, his message to Nigerians is that they should trust Tinubu with power to succeed him because the APC candidate, supported by Kashim Shettima, the running mate will build on the successes of his administration.
The president had also on Friday presided over the meeting of the National Council of State, where the Council endorsed the currency redesign policy introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), but however, faulted its implementation.
The Council, therefore, advised that the CBN should be more aggressive in the implementation of the policy in order to reduce the hardship faced by citizens.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Police also assured the Council of their readiness for the smooth conduct of the 2023 general election.
President Buhari hosted the Leadership of the National Assembly immediately after the meeting of the Council of State.
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, who spoke to State House correspondents after the closed door meeting with the president again stressed the need for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to allow the old and new Naira notes to be used concurrently.
According to him, this is to cushion the hardship being experienced by citizens.
Lawan further stressed the need to have another look at the policy on the redesign of Nigeria’s currency, saying that doing so would reduce the hardship currently being faced by citizens in accessing the new currency notes.
Earlier on Wednesday, the president presided over the meeting of the Federal Executive Council where INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, briefed the Council regarding the commission readiness to conduct the forthcoming general elections on Feb. 25 and March 11.
The Council approved N117 billion for the construction of Oloibiri oil museum in Bayelsa and another N721 million for the award of contract for the maintenance of the Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano State.
Also on Wednesday, the president congratulated Joe Ajaero on his emergence as the new president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
The president, in a congratulatory message by his media aide, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja, also hailed the National Executive Committee of the NLC on the success of the congress that produced the new leadership.
President Buhari concluded the week with an inaugural meeting of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), where he approved a work plan for Council.
The president, who chaired the NCCC, with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo as Vice-Chairman and the Director-General of NCCC, Dr Salisu Dahiru, as Secretary, approved the deployment of staff from key Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to the Council to ensure its effective take-off.
Responding to a number of requests by the Director-General of the Council on ensuring a smooth take-off and operationalisation of the Council, President Buhari approved the proposed Institutional Arrangement, (Organogram) for the Council, as presented.
He also endorsed the Council as the Designated National Authority for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the DG, NCCC as the UNFCCC National Focal Point, in line with the Climate Change Act 2021.
Source – NAN