By ISMAILA CHAFE

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the newly-elected Chairman of the governing party, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, to be fair and firm in all his dealings.

The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in a statement said Buhari gave the charge when he hosted Adamu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday.

The president assured the leader of the APC led by Adamu and the nation that he would continue the struggle to entrench democratic principles in politics and the affairs of governance.

He said: “Today, we should all be happy that the party has nursed its wounds and healed itself sufficiently to march forward to face the challenges of the coming state and General elections.

“When I reflect on policies of the administration on the economy and specifically in the development of agriculture, infrastructure, ICT and innovation and the welfare measures we have put in place for women, the youth and the less privileged members of the society, I get fresh confidence that our citizens will continue supporting the APC in our electoral battles.

“Our government is working for the betterment of the country.

“Our policies and programmes aim at nothing but the betterment of the country and its people. Essentially, the party should take the programmes of the government to the people to infuse confidence into them.”

The president again commended the Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee for the conduct of the congresses and convention leading to the emergence of the Adamu-led National Executive Committee (NEC).

“We cannot thank you enough for all that you did,” he added.

Speaking to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, the APC chairman said he was in the presidential villa to thank the president for his support and contributions towards the successful conduct of the party’s national convention on March 26.

He said: “Since the end of the convention that took place on March 26, we have not come to meet (president) him to thank him for providing leadership for the party to have a successful convention.

“The opportunity came today (Thursday), so I am here with the immediate past chairman of our great party in the person of the governor of Yobe, who headed the special caretaker committee that organized a very, very historic national convention, since the history of democracy in this country, First Republic, Second Republic, up to where we are today.

“I don’t remember any convention that there were misgivings about the possibility of its success than this one.

“We came out clean and we thought the leadership that Mr. President provided to the party has made all this possible.

“So I came with my predecessor to touch base with the President.

“I am in charge of this party, and by the grace of God, we will be honest, we will take the trust they entrust on us with seriousness and every sense of patriotism.” (NAN)

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