About seven months after leaving office, the former president Muhammadu Buhari admitted that he made some difficult decisions that caused pain to Nigerians.
He said that was why he apologized to Nigerians at the end of his term. But, he said, the decisions were not made to deliberately inflict pain and distress on anyone.
Buhari said on Tuesday that leaders often make difficult decisions and the people bear the costs.
He urged Nigerians to be patient with their leaders, saying citizens must make sacrifices in the journey to their desired destination.
“That’s why I apologized to those people at the end of our term. Sacrifices continue to be made and will continue to be part of our national life and development. Governments will continually seek the understanding and support of the people they lead, for our ultimate good and objective,” Buhari said.
The former Nigerian leader spoke at the public launch of two books in Abuja; Working with Buhari: Reflections of a Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, 2015 – 2023, and a five-book volume, “Muhammadu Buhari: The Nigerian Legacy (2015 – 2023)”.
The first book was written by Femi Adesina, who was a media advisor for eight years to the former president, while the second was written by over 100 authors and edited by Udu Yakubu.
Buhari noted that the two publications exemplify the sanctity of records and the role they play in documenting facts and figures, achievements and milestones, whether in our personal lives or the life of a nation.
“I told Adesina when he visited me in Daura with an advance copy of his book; she has done the nation a favor by writing it as she has provided a one stop shop on our administration of the country. Udu Yakubu and his colleagues have also done the same,” she said.
“Without documentation, revisionism wins. Human beings tend to have short memories, and unless events are recorded in cold print, some people would come and try to distort or even erase recent history.”
Buhari said his government acted with transparency and that posterity would judge them.
“The fact in our favor is that nothing was done under the cloak of secrecy. We were as transparent and responsible as possible, being aware that posterity was the ultimate judge. We kept records of our administration, knowing that we would always be held accountable for the trust entrusted to us.
“Let us not let the revisionists be happy to have the last word in the attempt to distort history. The facts and records will eventually prove them wrong. When some people engage in deliberate falsehood and distortion of facts related to our mandate, I take comfort in the fact that the records are there and will remain inviolable,” he added.
The former Nigerian leader also noted that the cumulative achievements of one government after another would make Nigeria better.
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He said government is a continuum and added: “It’s like a relay race. You continue your course and hand the baton to the next person. We have done this, and the administration of President Bola Tinubu has my support and trust, in the search to have the country of our dreams, where there is emancipation for our large population.”
Speaking further about Tinubu, Buhari said: “Our relationship has always been correct and cordial.”
Among those attending the event were President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Head of State Yakubu Gowon, some former governors and several former ministers.