President Muhammadu Buhari said yesterday the people of Niger Republic would defend him if anyone moved against him after leaving office.
He also said he deliberately shut the nation’s land borders to force Nigerians to patronise goods made in the country.
The President’s declaration, however, drew the ire of the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere and Middle Belt Forum, MBF, which described his stance as non-committal to Nigeria and that Nigerians would not miss him when he exits office.
But Buhari, who spoke extempore at the commissioning of the new corporate headquarters of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, in Abuja, said he was speaking his mind, reiterating his earlier decision to be far away from Abuja at the end of his administration.
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He said: “That is why when I became the President, my first visit was to Niger, Chad and Cameroon because, based on personal and national issues, the neighbourhood is very important.
“If you don’t secure the confidence and cooperation of your neighbours, you are in trouble, your children and grandchildren will be in trouble.
“So it is very good that I established a relationship with my neighbours. I said these few things about my personal belief because I have only six more days to go. And I try to plan to be as far away from Abuja as possible.
‘’Thank goodness, I come from an area which is far away from Abuja. I said if anybody forces me, I have a good relationship with my neighbours, Niger people will defend me.”
The President said he closed the country’s land borders to encourage Nigerians to produce food for their consumption, adding that though the move was initially criticised, Nigerians eventually appreciated it.
