North-East highest beneficiary of Buhari’s administration –Lawan

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has emphasized that the North-East geopolitical zone has been the primary beneficiary of significant appointments during the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari (retd.). Lawan made this assertion on Monday in Bauchi State at an All Progressives Congress campaign rally, where he expressed gratitude to the President for the advantages the North-East has experienced under his leadership.

Lawan remarked, “Mr. President, we in the North-East are probably the highest beneficiaries of your administration.” He noted that the region began to reap the benefits of Buhari’s governance earlier than any other part of Nigeria, particularly due to the technical defeat of Boko Haram shortly after Buhari took office. He highlighted the appointments of Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai as Chief of Army Staff and Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar as Chief of Air Staff, stating that their efforts significantly contributed to the security the region enjoys today. Lawan asserted that since 2015, the North-East has received the most critical appointments in Buhari’s administration, reinforcing the notion that the President has a strong connection to the region.

Furthermore, Lawan criticized the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alleging that while it was in power, the party neglected the North-East, leaving the region vulnerable to the Boko Haram insurgency. According to a statement from his media aide, Ola Awoniyi, Lawan claimed that it was only when President Buhari assumed office that the North-East was liberated from the grips of Boko Haram. He stated, “Mr. President, the PDP abandoned the North-East to Boko Haram insurgency. The PDP abandoned us until you came into office. In 2015, when you were sworn in, your first task was to liberate us. Thank you very much for what you did.”

Lawan reiterated similar sentiments about two weeks prior at a campaign rally in Yobe State, where he condemned the PDP for allowing the Boko Haram insurgency to escalate during its tenure. He accused the party of denying the existence of Boko Haram and failing to take necessary actions to address the crisis effectively.