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            President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday assured Christian leaders in the country of his commitment to leaving Nigeria better than he met it in 2015. Buhari gave the assurance while receiving the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, led by Rev Dr Samson Ayokunle at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He also affirmed that his administration will continue to address important national challenges including security, economy and corruption.

            The President told his visitors that the outcome of the just-concluded elections underscores the trust Nigerians have in the present leadership of the country. We will continue to strive for peaceful co-existence among all Nigerians irrespective of their religious beliefs. In the area of allocation of political offices, our focus will be on merit and national spread such that every part of Nigeria will have a sense of belonging. We remain resolute in the fight against terrorism and insurgency, and efforts to bring back all those in captivity and other victims of kidnappings will be intensified,” the President said.
            Commending the important roles religious bodies have played in the last four years of the administration, Buhari pledged to continue supporting several programmes anchored by the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), geared towards peace, tolerance, unity and harmony in our country. In his congratulatory message, the CAN president prayed God to grant President Buhari ‘‘everything it takes to perform hundred times better than’’ his first term, stressing that the organisation had the success of this administration at heart. Rev Ayokunle welcomed the President’s pledge to run an inclusive government in a speech shortly after his re-election, noting that the gesture would give all in the country a sense of belonging. The leadership of the Christian body in Nigeria also called for ethnic and religious balance in the selection of the leadership of the ninth National Assembly.