President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerians residing in Doha, Qatar, to support President-elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu, as he takes over the reins of government on May 29. The President made the call at a Town Hall meeting held as part of his visit to the State of Qatar on Tuesday. Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s media aide, released a statement on Wednesday that quoted the President as saying his administration set out to emplace credible, transparent, and fair elections that would conclude on March 11 with the Governorship and State Assembly elections.
President Buhari called on Nigerians living in Qatar to support the incoming government of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu so that Nigeria would continue to be the beacon of hope and prosperity in Africa and an example for other African countries to emulate. He acknowledged the noble roles that Nigerians in Diaspora all over the world had been playing in the development of Nigeria. His administration approved a National Diaspora Policy and supported the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) in developing programs for the engagement of Nigerians in the Diaspora to contribute their quota towards the development of their fatherland.
The Nigerian Ambassador to the State of Qatar, Yakubu Ahmed, congratulated President Buhari for conducting a successful Presidential and National Assembly elections on Feb. 25, 2023. He informed the President that Nigeria and the State of Qatar had maintained a brotherly bilateral relationship since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 2013. According to the ambassador, there are currently about 7,000 Nigerians residing in Qatar, and they are gainfully employed in diverse areas of human endeavors.
Dr. Arabo Ibrahim, a Senior Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist, spoke on behalf of the Nigerian community in the country. He had every reason to thank the President, especially for restoring peace in the North-eastern part of Nigeria. He said that their people were chased out of Mubi in Adamawa State by Boko Haram terrorists, but peace is now back, and they can sleep peacefully. There is a lot of food now, and people from neighboring countries even come to buy food in Nigeria.
Another member of the community, Prof. Akintunde Akinade, also thanked President Buhari for conducting an electoral process “alluded to as one of the best.” He commended the President for bringing sanity to the country and the electoral process, lauding the president for the infrastructural revolution in the country, his anti-corruption war, keeping Nigeria together, as well as his well-known democratic crusade in Africa. The event was put together by the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri Erewa.
