President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday met with the 36 state governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

This followed an earlier meeting between leaders of both the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The President, via his twitter handle, announced, “Today’s meeting with PDP & APC was not a political gathering, but a symbol of our unity and an expression of the maturity of our democracy.

“Opposition does not mean hostility, enmity or antagonism. Democracy needs opposition, one which is vibrant but responsible.”

In his address to the governors, the President commended their leadership style, saying he was pleased with the work they had done so far to improve the welfare of their various states.

Here is the full speech:

“I have just addressed APC and PDP senior officials that came to welcome me back. I thank you very much for the national approach in your leadership, those who are leaders at political level and those who are chief executives in their respective states. I had so much time to watch television NTA 24. I heard so much information about the states. I am very pleased with the states; you are all doing your best and you are lucky your best is proving to be good enough in agriculture and solid minerals. You are succeeding in agriculture because I think people cannot afford foreign food.

“The valuation of the Naira is not our making. It may not favour us but it is something we cannot change. Some people were asking me if we should be more strict on the borders … but I want to thank God last year and this year is better than what it used to be.

“The effort by the Vice President is commendable. He used his intellect to run all over the place. I was seeing him 24 hours on NTA. I congratulate them and I allowed him to come and see me to thank him personally for what he has done.

“I’m very happy with the national prayers. It was well covered and reported; across religions and ethnicity, people were praying. In fact, some groups in London came and sang the national anthem and asked that I should go back home. Indeed I have come back home. I hope those who went there are not stuck there; they will come back and join us … those that are stuck there with the Brexit, I hope they have weighed the implications that it won’t affect them including those that have property there, those who are not paying tax here. I hope when they sell their property there they will bring some of the money here. We need it very badly here.

“I thank you very much. My morale has been raised greatly by the love shown to me and the security of the country.” (Channels TV)

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