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No fewer than three thousand Internally Displaced Persons in Abuja were on Wednesday fed by Asiwaju Project Beyond 2023, one of the foremost support groups that worked for the election of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President-elect.
It was part of gestures to mark the 71st birthday of the ex-Governor by his supporters and well-wishers across the country.
The event, which took place at the Dagba IDP Camp in Area 1, Garki, Abuja, was attended by the leadership of the support group and politicians who broke their Ramadan fasting and a cut birthday cake with the IDPs, including women, children and youths.
The Director-General of the group, Realwan Okpanachi, said the gesture was in line with the generous and humble nature which Tinubu is known for.
Okpanachi said the choice of the IDP camp was another demonstration of the low-key birthday celebration as directed by Tinubu who is currently outside the country.
He said: “The significance of this event is Tinubu’s love for the downtrodden, for the less privileged and the challenged in the society.
“That’s why we are here to celebrate with these people.
“If you listened to his directive, he said his birthday should be celebrated with the downtrodden. That’s why we’re here.”
“We’re also here to tell them that the very reason why they’re here is the same reason why Tinubu is coming as president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to tackle the problem of insecurity, which has led them to this place in the first place, abandoning their homes, farming and businesses to seek refuge in this place.
“By the coming of Tinubu to office, he will provide security, education for their children and ensure that each and everyone here is rehabilitated and returned to their original homes to start life afresh as it used to be.
“So, there are no better people to celebrate Tinubu’s birthday with than this vulnerable group who he cares about passionately.”
Okpanachi added that as representatives of the President-elect, they had given the IDPs a message of hope that he will make live liveable and bearable for them in particular and all Nigerians as a whole.
He disclosed that the initial projection of feeding the IDPs was put at 2,000, but with the large turnout witnessed additional 1,000 packages, which had to be made so that they could have a memorable breaking of Ramadan.
Amina Musa, a mother of five and one of the beneficiaries who spoke in Hausa Language, thanked the group and said the foods, drinks and fruits collected by her household would help them in breaking the fasting.
Musa said: “We thank Baba Tinubu for this gesture to me and my family.
“The things I collected here today will help us to break our fasting.
“We wish him happy birthday too.”
Speaking on behalf of the IDPs, Idris Alilu, expressed appreciation for the kind gesture from Tinubu to have remembered them at this Ramadan season.
Alilu used the opportunity to pray for good health and divine wisdom for the President-elect to pilot the affairs of the nation commencing from May 29.
Prayers were also offered for the unity and peace of the country following the aftermath of the 2023 general election.