JUST IN : Buhari confers GCFR on Tinubu as Shettima gets GCON

Four days to their assumption of duties, President-elect Bola  Tinubu and the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima, have been bestowed with the two highest national honours in the country.

Tinubu was awarded the highest national award of Grand Commander of the Order of Federal Republic (GCFR) reserved for Presidents, while Shettima was awarded the second highest national honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON).

The awards were bestowed on the duo by the outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari at an investiture ceremony on Thursday morning at the State House, Abuja.

The event also witnessed the handing over of transition documents to the former Lagos governor.

Speaking at the event, Tinubu hlpromised not to disappoint Nigerians who put their trust in him.

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Before conferring the highest national honour on the President-elect and the Vice President-elect,  Buhari said he has finished his race well and he satisfied that he is handing over Nigeria to competent hands in the person of Asiwaju Tinubu.

“I have run my course. I am happy that I am handing over to competent hands,” President Buhari said.

Meanwhile, Tinubu in his address at the investiture, posited that his election to lead the over 200 million people in the country was a goodwill, which came from a place of trust.

He said, “I am a simple man who is the beneficiary of the support and goodwill of the people of Nigeria.

“The people have put their trust in us. You have done your part Mr. President.

“Now, that great duty descends on me. I understand the meaning of the honor given to me today and of the task that awaits.

“I must run this race and must do it well. On security, the economy, agriculture, jobs, education, health and power and in all other sectors we must make headway. The people deserve no less. In this, I shall disappoint neither them nor you, Mr. President.”

The President-elect recognized that though Nigeria’s path may not always be smooth but expressed faith in the country’s purpose and collective ability to overcome challenges.

He said, “Our way shall not always be smooth. Yet we are imbued with faith in our purpose and a firm belief in our collective ability to overcome the challenges that confront us.”

The President-elect also commended  Buhari’s unwavering commitment to progressive and democratic good governance, recognizing him as a leader who took courageous decisions when others shied away.

He specifically thanked President Buhari for designating June 12 as Democracy Day and honouring MKO Abiola with the GCFR title, a decision other presidents were afraid to take.

He said, “President Buhari, you have shown courage in taking tough decisions others avoided.

“One such decision was to recognize the injustice of the annulment of the 1993 election, to designate June 12 as Democracy Day, and to bestow the nation’s highest honor on the late MKO Abiola.

“As much as anyone could, you reached back into history to set the record straight and heal a festering wound.

“The justice you did in this matter lends special meaning to today.”

The President-elect also expressed his gratitude to President Buhari for bestowing the nation’s highest honors on him and Vice President-elect Shettima, promising to carry

“Thank you, Mr. President, for bestowing the nation’s highest honors on my Vice President elect Shettima and me,” he said.

Tinubu also extended his appreciation for the transition documents and the diligent work performed by the transition council led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha.

While acknowledging the comprehensive scorecard presented in the transition documents, he said, “The documents summarize the immense work of your administration. They constitute an impressive and noteworthy scorecard.”

He further emphasized that the ceremony exemplified Nigeria’s vibrant and true democracy, where one leader honors his successor and ensures a smooth transition of power.

“This stately occasion is living evidence that Nigeria is a vibrant and true democracy.”