President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Nigeria after attending the Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Presidency reports that the Nigerian leader’s plane touched down in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja about 5 hours after it took from Jeddah in kingdom of Arabia.
Presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad tweeted photos of the president’s arrival Ahmad also listed some of the activities that President Buhari participated in at the summit.
He also listed his submissions there. He tweeted: “While addressing the Summit, President Buhari thanked the OIC for its various interventions under the Special Programme for the Development of Africa and the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development.
According to President Buhari, the robust interventions of the various OIC institutions, particularly the Islamic Development Bank, had been effective in such key sectors as trade and investment, agriculture, rural development and food security, in Nigeria and across Africa.
“In Nigeria, the Islamic Development Bank supports our National Food Security Programme and the various road and school rehabilitation projects across the six geopolitical zones and the construction of second Niger Bridge.
“At the summit, President Buhari expressed confidence that the continued support of Nigeria’s multilateral partners, notably the OIC’s the Islamic Development Bank Group, will be most needed as we redoubled efforts towards achieving rapid socio-economic development.
Bashir Ahmad also made an attempt at tackling the outcry that have trailed President Buhari’s trip for the OIC summit in some quarters. He explained that other presidents have made similar trips without any controversy.
It would be recalled that Ohanaeze Ndigbo had asked President Muhammadu Buhari to resign from office if he wants to become a religious fanatic because he left Nigeria for Saudi Arabia a day after his swearing-in ceremony to attend a meeting of the Organisation for Islamic Affairs (OIC).
The group in a statement by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Chuks Ibegbu, said Buhari owes Nigerians explanation about his trip to Saudi Arabia immediately after the swearing-in ceremony.
Part of the statement said, “Why immediate attendance of Organisation of Islamic Countries, OIC, meeting in Saudi Arabia a day after his swearing in? Mr President Buhari owes Nigerians that explanation.
“This is a secular country and a leader that wants to be a mullah or fanatic is free to resign rather than plunge us into a religious crisis.”
Ohanaeze also attacked Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila for traveling to Mecca to perform Umrah, lesser hajj, saying his journey to Mecca in his bid to become speaker was a bad omen.
Specifically, it said Gbajabiamila’s journey to Mecca in his bid to become speaker spells doom for Nigeria’s democracy.
It stressed, “Femi Gbajabiamila, a born again Christian turned into Muslim for political reasons is dangerous to our democracy.”