President Muhammadu Buhari has said that African leaders must respect the people who put them in office.
He made the remark while receiving visiting Gambian president, Adama Barrow.
In a statement signed by presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, Buhari told the Gambian president that: “We cannot stop educating people that they are doing themselves a lot of favour when they do the right things in a democracy.
“The future of our countries lies in our hands. We must respect our people, and appreciate their support. And when the people do the right things, they do themselves a lot of favour.”
Nigeria played a key role in ousting former President Yahya Jammeh, who had refused to accept results of election he lost in 2016, and the Nigerian leader said it was the least the country could do, in leading an ECOWAS onslaught against the sit-tight President.
“I was in Gambia physically at least two times,” President Buhari recalled, adding: “It was the least we could do to stabilize the region. We’ve accepted multi-party democracy, and we must comply with its tenets. By supporting you, we were supporting ECOWAS. We are dealing with our own troubles here, but we will continue to support you bilaterally, and through ECOWAS.”
As The Gambia goes to the polls next year, the President pledged Nigeria’s support in different ways possible.
President Barrow said his visit was actually to say thank you and Nigeria once again for its multifarious helps, noting that the support had been unflinching since he got to office in 2017.
“You have given us technical support in the Ministry of Education, in Ministry of Justice, and in many other areas. We are grateful,” the Gambian President said.
He disclosed that The Gambia was recovering from 22 years of dictatorship, security problems, lack of infrastructure, and a parlous economy. A Truth and Reconciliation Commission was also sitting, to redress injustices of the past, and heal the injuries.
Going forward, President Barrow said his country still needed Nigeria’s stabilizing force, “as things would have been very difficult for us without the invaluable support you gave.”