Cyclist Arrives Abuja from Kaduna in Celebration of Buhari’s Victory
People can hardly get tired of celebrating victory, and that's why about a month after a 32-yearold construction worker, Suleiman Hashimu, trekked to Abuja from Lagos in honour of the Presidentelect, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), THISDAY learnt that another person, this time a cyclist, Dr. Mohammed Auwal, arrived Abuja yesterday from Kaduna State on his bicycle, also in celebration of Buhari’s victory.
The cyclist, who arrived the Central District of Abuja around 10am into waiting the hands of the President/ Chief Executive Officer of Reagan Cement Limited, Chief Reagan Ufomba, and management of the company, said he rode for seven days to arrive at the federal capital.
While many previous persons had been trekking, Auwal decided to ride a bicycle.
Auwal said that he started the journey on May 5, from Kaduna State to Abuja in order to celebrate the victory of Buhari and as well as the exhibition of true statesmanship by President Goodluck Jonathan, by admitting defeat before the presidential election result's announcement was made.
The cyclist, who was dressed in a green-whitegreen track suit and a crash helmet, told journalists yesterday in Abuja that he decided to embark on the trip that took him seven days to accomplish, to show his appreciation to Buhari, Jonathan and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, for the nationalistic roles they played in the peaceful conduct of the last election.
He told his audience that he had three letters of congratulations to the three personalities, adding that he also came with messages for the president-elect from less privileged Nigerians who are suffering in their various communities without basic infrastructure.
The 47-year-old man, according to Leadership Newspaper, told his audience that he came to Abuja to complete the job Hashimu started, adding that the Lagos-Abuja trekker only visited the president-elect without recognising the role President Jonathan played by ensuring that there is peace after the election, contrary to speculation that Nigeria would break up in 2015.
According to him, “I got the inspiration from the unity Nigeria was able to exhibit during the election. Because there were speculations that Nigeria is going to break and this generated mistrust amongst Nigerians. People fled from where they were residing with the belief that the prediction would come to pass.
“But, before the result was announced, Jonathan, out of his magnanimity and foresight conceded defeat. That was also my inspiration, because it was not about Goodluck Jonathan, it is about the unity and stability of Nigerians.
“Also, on my way from Kaduna State, I took a tour around communities and I was able to gather enough information on the living standard of the common man in the village. These people are also Nigerians and they deserved to be treated as Nigerians.
“I visited a school where there was no single source of water. I visited a primary school where the well was as deep as 70 feet, the staff room is nothing to write home about, not to talk of the classrooms. I also visited a community where the only source of water is occupied by frogs. These are some of the messages I want to relay to the president-elect."
Responding, Ufomba said that the decision to support the cyclist was because they were motivated that Auwal was riding a bicycle all the way from Kaduna to celebrate the unity of Nigeria, and that the issue of safety comes first, that was why they took up the challenge to kit him and provide him some safety wears like helmets, track suits and first aid box.