The outgoing President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari will today (Tuesday) depart Abuja for Accra to attend the 3rd Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC) convened by Ghana President Nana Akuffo-Ado.
Buhari is scheduled to participate and give remarks at the high-level discussion on strategies for strengthening peace and security in the fight against maritime-related crimes in the region.
This disclosure was made in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, on Monday night which was sent to Africa Today News, New York.
As the immediate past Chair of the Assembly, the Nigerian leader had championed collective efforts by Member States of the region, the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and their partners to address and prevent piracy.
Buhari will be accompanied by Geoffrey Onyeama, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Major General Babagana Monguno (Rtd), the National Security Adviser (NSA), Ambassador Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, the Director General, National Intelligence Agency, (NIA), among other government officials.
The president is expected to be back in the country after the event before the end of the week.
Recall that Buhari had last week revealed that he could no longer wait to go home after eight years of governing the country which he admitted was not an easy task.
He made this known while speaking at the 9th and final Sallah homage held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The President, who described himself as being lucky to have led Nigeria in various capacities as governor, minister, Head of State, and President, thanked Nigerians for tolerating him in the last seven and half years.
‘I can’t wait to go home…I deliberately arranged to be as far away as possible from you people. I have got what I have asked and will quietly retire to my home town in Daura.’
He said he considered the Sallah celebration as a good coincidence to say goodbye and to ‘thank you for tolerating me for eight years.’
President Buhari added: ‘I am counting the days. Democracy is a good thing. Otherwise how can somebody from the other side be a president for two terms? My hometown to Niger Republic is eight kilometres.’
He went on to add; ‘I honestly consider myself very lucky, I was made a governor, minister of petroleum, Head of State in uniform, then after three attempts, God through technology and PVC, I became president. I tried 2007, 2011, and 2015 and ended up at the Supreme Court three times.’
He took a swipe at those who said they cannot get justice at the court, recalling that all Supreme Court justices in all the election cases he took to court were Muslims from the north, yet he lost.