Buhari’s re-election is God’s will, say traditional rulers

BRACE to play crucial roles in the prevention and detection of criminal activities in your domains, President Muhammadu Buhari urged royal fathers yesterday.

He spoke when members of the National Council of Traditional Rulers (NCTRN), led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, visited him at the State House, Abuja.

The President noted that involving the monarchs had become necessary in view of the deep knowledge of their localities.

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, the President said: “You know all the families who harbour criminals and you know those who produce respectable individuals. You know the weaknesses of our society. We need your support to consolidate our achievements.”

President Buhari listed several significant efforts by his administration to enhance national security while emphasising the overall need for stability in the country.

He said: “What we need now is your support. No government can serve creditably without your support. We will always count on your support.”

Welcoming the royal fathers to his “second and final term, at the end of which I will, God willing, go to Daura and settle down”, the President urged the traditional rulers to support his party’s “Next Level” programmes.

Speaking, the Sultan of Sokoto and Co-Chairman of the Council, told President Buhari that the body “on behalf of all the Traditional Rulers in Nigeria, is here to congratulate you on your re-election as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Urging “all Nigerians to accept the election result as the will of God,” the Sultan assured the President of the traditional rulers’ “continued unflinching support in your laudable projects, particularly your government’s cardinal objectives of fighting corruption, containing insecurity, generally sanitising the governance machinery, entrenching discipline, hard work and peaceful co-existence amongst the citizenry.”

He described the re-election of President Buhari as the will of God for the progress and development of the country.

He urged the losers to accept the will of God and support President Buhari to move the country forward.

The Sultan said: “The National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria is here to felicitate with you on your re-election as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We join all Nigerians and the International community in praying and wishing you very big success in your tenure.

“As traditional rulers, we are not only custodians of our people’s cultures, values and traditions but also the custodians of the religious beliefs and conscience of our people. We are therefore, fully aware that it is only God almighty who owns power and authority and who bestows this on whom He will, when He wills and how He wills.

“Therefore, your election as President for a second tenure should be seen as what God has destined and no one could have changed that.

“This result is the will of the almighty God and therefore we call on all to give you maximum support for the achievement of peace, development and progress of our dear nation.”

The Sultan also charged President Buhari to continue to exhibit the characters of justice and fairness as he leads the country.

He noted that the traditional institution as an enduring cultural heritage of its people would continue to serve as the bedrock of any administration in power.

The Sultan pledged the support of traditional rulers for President Buhari’s three cardinal areas of focus – fighting corruption, revamping the economy and improving security.

The Co-Chairman of the Council and Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II, assured President Buhari that their members would work very closely with his administration to fight criminal activities.

The Ooni urged Buhari to be a President for the whole nation and father to all citizens.