Buhari visits, congratulates UNGA President

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday paid a courtesy visit to the President of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly (PGA), Amb. Tijani Muhammad-Bande, in his office in New York.

The brief visit, which came on the sidelines of the ongoing UN High-Level Week, came shortly after Buhari participated in the United Nations Climate Summit.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina said Buhari congratulated his host on his recent emergence as the UNGA president.

The president told the PGA that “he bore a heavyweight on his shoulders and that Nigeria was solidly behind him in the onerous task’’.

“I sincerely congratulate you.

“Your election was well received by the whole world.

“It was unanimous support and the global community received you well.

“That support puts a heavyweight on you and I wish you well,’’ the President was quoted as saying.

Responding, Muhammad-Bande said he was delighted to receive the Nigerian President, “along with your team of professionals and politicians’’.

Muhammad-Bande, who is Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, was inaugurated as the PGA on Sept. 17, making him the third Nigerian to occupy the seat in 30 years.

With Buhari were the governors of Nasarawa, Abdullahi Sule; Osun, Adegboyega Oyetola and some ministers, including Geoffery Oyeama of Foreign Affairs.

Also present were the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mr Ahmed Abubakar and the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, among others.