Buhari: I'll like to leave something behind after 8-years in office

Buhari made this known when he hosted the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors and senators-elect to dinner in the Presidential Villa on Monday, March 25, 2019.

While regretting some actions of the Bukola Saraki-led 8th National Assembly, Buhari urged the lawmakers to place the interest of the country above their personal interests.

Saraki gives Buhari the famous stare at the APC national convention ece-auto-gen

Recall that there was an Executive/Legislature rift that began shortly after Saraki's emergence as Senate President.

“This is my fifth and last time of standing for an election – for that reason I’ll like to leave something behind,” Buhari declared.

He continued: “And what I want to leave cannot be successfully done without your support.

“So, that is why I’m appealing for your support. What happened in the last senate and so on is regrettable because I still feel it shouldn’t take seven months to pass a budget. You have a very, very serious job ahead of you.

“So, what I’m appealing is that any major decision you are going to take please reflect more on the country than yourself as a person – what effect will it have on the country,” he appealed to the lawmakers.

The APC national chairman, Adams Oshiohmole; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, and other presidential aides also attended the event.

The governors of Kogi, Jigawa, Oyo, Kaduna, Kebbi, Zamfara, Borno, Yobe, Plateau, Osun and Lagos were also present.

Senate Presidency

Speaking to journalists after the dinner, Oshiomhole hinted that the issue of the Senate leadership was discussed at the gathering.

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“The system talks about the separation of powers between the executive and legislature and the two must handshake for things to happen,” Oshiomhole said.

“And when you have a President that is determined to drive changes, fundamental changes that will affect our habits, our life style, review the economy, deal with the security situation, fight corruption as fiercely as he is trying to do, he will need a very supportive legislative arm of government.

“And happily, the Nigerian people have given us the number in the legislative arm of government. All we have agreed today is that we will use these numbers as a functioning whole to determine the leadership of the senate in a way that we are not going to go to the floor of the senate and allow the opposition dictate who becomes the senate president.

“Because, we have comfortable majority to drive that, what we have to do is to manage that majority," he added.

Majority Leader, Ahmad Lawan, Senators Ali Ndume and Danjuma Goje are top contenders for the position of Senate President in the 9th Assembly.