ABUJA – Former President Muhammadu Buhari has urged current political leaders to place the welfare of citizens above personal interests, emphasizing that leadership should be driven by service and not self-gain.
Buhari made the call when he received governors elected under the All Progressives Congress (APC) at his Kaduna residence during a courtesy visit to mark the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.
The former president, who stated that he left office with the same physical assets he had before assuming the presidency, advised the governors to embrace a citizen-centric approach to leadership. According to him, leadership comes with both challenges and opportunities, and finding the right balance is key to national development.
“I believe progress lies in serving the people first,” Buhari said. “Leadership is about making sacrifices for the greater good.”
He also expressed confidence in the efforts of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) in advancing national goals and thanked President Bola Tinubu’s administration for renovating his Kaduna residence. While the exterior remained unchanged, he acknowledged significant internal improvements.
Buhari appreciated the visit and shared fond memories of working with many of the visiting governors while noting that some were new faces to him.
In his remarks, PGF Chairman and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, expressed deep gratitude for Buhari’s enduring contributions to Nigeria’s democracy and the APC’s evolution.
Uzodinma, in a statement issued by Buhari’s former media aide, Garba Shehu, praised the ex-president’s pivotal role in the founding of the APC and his historic achievement as the only opposition candidate to defeat an incumbent president.
“You governed with calm resolve and handed over, with honour, to another APC president. Your focus on security, economic recovery, and anti-corruption gave meaning to our party’s core principles,” Uzodinma said.
He highlighted key accomplishments of Buhari’s administration, including reclaiming insurgent-held territories, expanding social investment programmes, and spearheading major infrastructural development like the Anchor Borrowers Programme and the national school feeding initiative.
“You taught us to produce what we eat and eat what we produce. Today, APC is being renewed and repositioned under your worthy successor, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he added.
The governors described Buhari’s public endorsement of Tinubu as a symbol of continuity and pledged their commitment to deepening progressive governance across the nation.
