During a farewell meeting with Mary Beth Leonard, the outgoing United States ambassador, at the State House in Abuja on Tuesday, President Muhammadu Buhari expressed his eagerness to hand over power and focus on his farms and cattle in Daura, Katsina state. “I plan to be a big landlord back at home, working on my farms and tending to more than 300 animals. I am eager to go,” he said.
The president also spoke about the recently held elections, stating that Nigerians have proven to be capable of choosing their leaders without any external influence. He praised the passion for democracy exhibited by Nigerians during the elections and noted that the conduct of the polls showed that Nigeria’s democracy has truly matured. “The people are realizing their power. Given the chance of a free and fair vote, nobody can tell them what to do,” he said.
Buhari also expressed his unhappiness at the fact that some candidates lost in the elections, but he was inspired by the fact that voters were able to make their own decisions without the influence of money. He commended himself for staying above board during the election process, without any form of interference.
The outgoing ambassador, Mary Beth Leonard, praised the progress made in Nigeria-US relations during her three-and-a-half-year tenure. She cited the institution of a five-year visa regime between the two countries, active collaboration in security, the supply of military hardware including warplanes and soon-to-come fighter helicopters, and cooperation in the health sector to fight HIV and COVID-19.
President Buhari is expected to hand over to Bola Tinubu, the president-elect, on May 29, after completing his second term of four years.
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