President Muhammadu Buhari said Nigerians are, no matter how grudgingly, accepting that his administration is doing its best.

Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, quoted him as saying this at Presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday, while hosting president of The Gambia, Adama Barrow.

“We took over from a party that had been in power for 16 years. During those years, the country earned an unprecedented amount of money as revenue, never seen at any time before. It is noteworthy that, no matter how grudgingly, the people are accepting that we are doing our best,” Buhari said.

Buhari expressed disappointment that he and other leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had to use strong-arm tactics to get Yahya Jammeh, former Gambian president, out of office after failing to win re-election.

“We had to go through those actions because it was the only option for Nigeria and ECOWAS,” Mr Buhari told Mr Barrow, who succeeded Jammeh.

Barrow was quoted as saying that he came to thank Nigeria and its leader in person for ensuring the completion of the democratic process in his country, which had stalled then following the refusal of Jammeh to accept the election results.

Daily Trust