- * Honours Shettima Too With GCON
- Asiwaju Hails President For Honouring MKO Abiola, Promises Not To Disappoint Nigerians
By Janet Bassey (Governance Reporter)
President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, conferred Nigeria's highest national honours award of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) on Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ahead of Monday, May 29 presidential inauguration. He also handed the transition document to Tinubu.
Buhari equally honoured Senator Kassim Shettima, Tinubu's Vice Presidential running mate in the February 25th Presidential election, with the title of GCON (Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger), the country's second highest national honours award.
A statement on Thursday, May 25, 2023 by Tinubu's spokesman, Mr Tunde Rahman, said he has promised not to disappoint Nigerians in the coming years.
According to Mr Rahman, Buhari, before conferring the highest national honour on Tinubu and Shettima, said he has finished his race well and quite satisfied.
"I have run my course. I am happy that I am handing over", President Buhari was quoted to have said.
Rahman also claimed in the statement that Bola Tinubu, In his address at the investiture, said: "I am a simple man who is the beneficiary of the support and goodwill of the people of Nigeria. The people have put their trust in us. You have done your part Mr. President.
"Now, that great duty descends on me. I understand the meaning of the honor given to me today and of the task that awaits. I must run this race and must do it well. On security, the economy, agriculture, jobs, education, health and power and in all other sectors we must make headway. The people deserve no less. In this, I shall disappoint neither them nor you, Mr. President."
According to the statement, Tinubu "recognized that though Nigeria's path may not always be smooth but expressed faith in the country's purpose and collective ability to overcome challenges".
He was quoted to have added that, "Our way shall not always be smooth. Yet we are imbued with faith in our purpose and a firm belief in our collective ability to overcome the challenges that confront us."
Tinubu was also said to have commended President Muhammadu Buhari's unwavering commitment to progressive and democratic good governance, recognizing him as a leader who took courageous decisions when others shied away.
He was said to have specifically thanked President Buhari for designating June 12 as Democracy Day and honouring MKO Abiola with the GCFR title, a decision other presidents were afraid to take.
According to his spokesman, Tinubu said thus: "President Buhari, you have shown courage in taking tough decisions others avoided. One such decision was to recognize the injustice of the annulment of the 1993 election, to designate June 12 as Democracy Day, and to bestow the nation’s highest honor on the late MKO Abiola.
"As much as anyone could, you reached back into history to set the record straight and heal a festering wound. The justice you did in this matter lends special meaning to today."
Tinubu was said to have also expressed his gratitude to President Buhari for bestowing the nation's highest honors on him and Shettima. "Thank you, Mr. President, for bestowing the nation’s highest honors on my Vice President-elect Shettima and me," he reportedly said.
Asiwaju Tinubu, his Spokesman said in the statement, also extended his appreciation for the transition documents and the diligent work performed by the transition council led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha.
While acknowledging the comprehensive scorecard presented in the transition documents, Tinubu reportedly said, "The documents summarized the immense work of your administration. They constitute an impressive and noteworthy scorecard."
He was said to have further emphasized that the ceremony exemplified Nigeria's vibrant and true democracy, where one leader honors his successor and ensures a smooth transition of power.
"This stately occasion is living evidence that Nigeria is a vibrant and true democracy", Tinubu was quoted to have said at the low-key ceremony in Abuja. NNL.
