From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The President Muhammadu Buhari, Thursday in Lafia, said he swore by the Holy Quran hence cannot go beyond two terms in office.
This is even as he warned leaders who take the oath of office, swearing with the Holy Book, to be careful not to abuse the trust of leadership placed on them by the people and God.
According to a statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari, who is on a two-day state visit to Nasarawa, spoke during a courtesy visit to the palace of Emir of Lafia, Sidi Muhammad 1, stressing that he has no intention to stay beyond the constitutionally recognised two terms of office as leader of Nigeria.
According to him, “The traditional ruler is on a terminal appointment. Constitutionally, we (elected public office holders) are not.
“I cannot go beyond two terms, and I have sworn by the Holy Quran that I will uphold the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Politics apart, whenever we are made to swear by the Holy Quran, we have to be very careful. We must make sure that we do not abuse the trust God has given us as leaders. I have seen former Governors here, and I am looking forward to becoming a former President.”
Due to the continued delay in signing the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, the main opposition, Peoples Democratic Party, had on Tuesday said this might be a pointer to a tenure elongation plan by the Buhari regime.
It said, “Less than a year to the 2023 general elections, President Buhari and the APC are at it again! Expectedly, the current anti-people scheme against the Electoral Act Amendment Bill by the APC administration is heightening apprehensions across the country of furtive plots by APC leaders to orchestrate a constitutional impasse that can railroad our democracy into an emergency tenure elongation, induced election postponement, self-succession or worst still an interim government situation.”
However, on Wednesday, a presidential source revealed that Buhari would sign the piece of legislation by noon on Friday.
The source, who spoke anonymously, said, “all these anxieties will disappear by Friday afternoon. He will be signing the bill around noon of that day. I believe he has taken his time so that the Act can be as unassailable as possible.”
The President thanked the people of Nasarawa State for a rousing welcome, expressing delight that the North-Central State was wearing a new look since his last visit in 2019.
He congratulated the immediate past Governor and Senator representing Nasarawa South Senatorial District, Umaru Al-Makura and the incumbent, Governor Abdullahi Sule, for the laudable initiatives and accomplishments in the State.
Welcoming the President to the over 200-year old palace, the Emir of Lafia thanked him for ending the problem of insufficient power to Nasarawa State with the provision of a 330kVA sub-station.
The Emir, who is also the Chairman, Nasarawa State Council of Chiefs, told Buhari that the provision of the electricity plant “has taken out 80 per cent of our problem.”
“Our people have never had it so good. Our people are back to their normal life as entrepreneurs,” he said, adding that the Federal Government projects that were “standing as ghosts” in the State in the past have now become a reality.
He listed the newly inaugurated CBN Building in Lafia, the Federal Secretariat, UBEC Smart School and completed Ecological projects, among others.
On arrival in the capital for his 2-day State Visit to Nasarawa, the President inaugurated the Lafia Airport, Vocational and Skills Acquisition Centre, Modern Bus Terminal and the Shinge-Barkini Abdullahi-Kilema road, executed by the State Government.
He also inaugurated the CBN Lafia Branch building and a 330kva Akurba Transmission Substation executed by the Federal Government through the Niger Delta Power Holding Company to boost power supply in the State and its environs.