President Muhammadu Buhari made the remarks during a courtesy visit to the palace of Sidi Bage Muhammad I, Emir of Lafia, in Nasarawa state, according to presidential spokeswoman Femi Adesina.
While committing not to serve beyond his constitutionally mandated two-term term, Buhari also remarked that leaders who swear by the holy book upon taking the oath of office must be mindful not to misuse the trust placed in them by the people.
“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,” he was quoted as saying.
“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 also becoming a former president.”
Buhari thanked the people of Nasarawa for a rousing welcome, expressing delight that the north-central state is wearing a new look since his last visit in 2019.
He congratulated Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, the immediate past governor, and Abdullahi Sule, the incumbent governor, for the laudable initiatives and accomplishments in the state.
On his part, the emir thanked Buhari for addressing insufficient power supply in the state with the provision of a 330kVA sub-station.
The emir told the president that the provision of the electricity plant “has taken out 80 percent of our problem”.
“Our people have never had it so good. Our people are back to their normal lives as entrepreneurs,” he was quoted as saying.
He added that the federal government projects that were “standing as ghosts” in the state in the past have now become a reality.
As part of his visit to the state, the president also inaugurated the Lafia airport, vocational and skills acquisition center, modern bus terminal, and the Shinge-Barkini Abdullahi-Kilema road, all executed by the state government.
He also unveiled the Lafia branch building of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and a 330kva Akurba transmission substation executed by the federal government through the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) to boost power supply in the state.
