President Muhammadu Buhari has warned newly-elected and returning governors that failure to deliver on their campaign promises Buhari stated this on Monday in Abuja at the induction programme for elected and returning governors organised by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, Buhari reminded the governors of the need to immediately commence the delivery of the promises they made during campaigns.
The President said, “One interesting development that we all saw from the last elections is that the electorate is maturing, and people are increasingly finding their voices.”
He said, “Any public officer who fails to either meet up with the expectations of the people or deliver on his campaign promises would be voted out in the next election. That is what democracy is about. Deliver or get shown the door out!
“With the elections now over, it is time for us to deliver the promises we made during the campaigns.”
Buhari added that, “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.”
He said, “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.”
The President called on the forum to promote ideals that will address the challenges of democracy and governance in the country.
He said, “The role of the sub-nationals is critical in our socio-economic development as a nation.
“Your proximity to the people, gives you the privilege to have an instant pulse on their needs and challenges and yours is to devise creative and judicious means of addressing the myriad of issues that confront them daily.”
Buhari further called on the states to leverage their comparative cost advantage for the good of their various economies.
