President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, reflected on the past eight years of his presidency, stating that while the road had been difficult, his administration had set the stage for a successful Nigeria.

Buhari made the remarks in a speech delivered by his chief of staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, during a meeting of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) in Abuja on Monday.

The results of the general election in 2023, according to the president, showed that democracy was here to stay and that the electorate was rapidly maturing

He cautioned politicians that their two options were to keep their word or face the consequences.

Buhari, in the speech read by Gambari at the 2023 NGF meeting, said, “We have made steady progress since we took office in 2015. The road has been bumpy due to a challenging fiscal climate, but I am proud to state, as we leave office in about two weeks, that we have built a firm foundation for a prosperous Nigeria.

“We could not have done everything, but we focused on a number of areas: infrastructure, agriculture and strengthening our Armed Forces

The president stated that in March 2023, Nigeria consolidated and reinforced its democratic process with a general election that saw the election of a new president and about 18 new governors

The president stated, “I am happy to note that democracy is alive, vibrant and thriving in Nigeria. With the elections now over, it is time for us to deliver the promises we made during the campaigns. I have always maintained that democracy is not an end state nor is it a static event. It is an evolutionary process that takes its participants on a journey of self-realisation.

“The process forces us to hold a mirror to ourselves, and by doing so, we are made to constantly review and improve its critical elements to ensure that we have an inclusive democratic practice that gives faith to voters.

“We must, therefore, be patient, tolerant and use the appropriate channels to seek redress if we believe there have been unfair practices along the way. As you can tell, I am speaking as a veteran of the process, with the scars to show for it.

“On May 29, you will be called upon to steer the affairs of your states for the next four years. From this day, you become wholly responsible for the state as an enterprise. You, as the governor or state chief executive, inherit all its assets and liabilities

The assumption of office is a constitutional process that we must take with utmost dedication, in the light of the trust bestowed on you by those, who elected you into office