President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, met with prominent Nigerians, including his key ally and National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, confirmed this development in a statement in Abuja on Monday.
Shehu quoted Tinubu after an Iftar dinner meeting with Buhari, as appealing to elderly Nigerians to avoid inflammatory statements that could undermine peaceful co-existence among the nation’s diverse communities.
Tinubu’s comment is coming two days after former President Olusegun Obasanjo said that Boko Haram were planning to “Fulanise” Nigeria and “Islamise” Africa.
The ex-president’s statement has continued to reverberate across the nation.
According to the presidential aide, the dinner was also attended by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, and Emir of Kazaure, Dr Najib Hussaini Adamu,
The APC national leader enjoined the citizens to consider the enormity of challenges facing the nation and support the president.
He also urged Nigerians to rally round Buhari to solve the problems and stabilize the polity.
“The President worked hard and will continue to do so to ensure peace and stability in the country, which are important for the economy to make progress.
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“These are the key pegs of his agenda. Let us all come together to support him,” he said.
According to Tinubu, the Peoples Democratic Party is reputed for “saucy and distractive statements’’.
He, therefore, urged Nigerians not to be angry with the opposition party, but assist them to overcome their “colossal defeat” in the Feb. 2019 elections.
“Don’t blame them. They are handicapped by the traumatic feelings of the colossal loss of the election. You should help them to manage the trauma,” he added.
The APC national leader commended Buhari for the recognition of June 12 as the nation’s Democracy Day.
In his remarks, the Sultan pledged his support to the success of the Buhari administration.
The Sultan led prayers for Buhari’s second term in office and for the nation to overcome current challenges.
Other guests at the Iftar dinner were: Nigerian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Justice Isa Dodo (rtd.), Malam Mamman Daura, Isma’ila Isa, Mr Wale Tinubu and Mr Hakeem P. Fahm, the Commissioner of Science and Technology, Lagos State. (NAN)