(FRANKS..)
Two years ago, Mr Hashimu was talking with a group of friends about what they would do if Mr Buhari, a former military leader, won the 2015 presidential election.
One owned a shop and said he would let people take whatever they wanted, free of charge, but Mr Hashimu did not have much money to give away.
"I made a promise that if Gen Buhari should win the election I would trek from Lagos to Abuja - so it started as this joke!" he says.
When Mr Buhari was declared the winner on 1 April 2015 - becoming the first opposition candidate to win a presidential election in Nigeria - Mr Hashimu's friends called him, reminding him of his promise.
That same day Mr Hashimu left his home in Ibadan, where he was working in the construction industry, and travelled to Lagos. The next morning he began his long walk.
He decided to walk for 12 hours each day and soon realised the scale of the task he had set himself.
But news of his journey quickly spread and he was greeted warmly at each village he entered.
"The journey took me 18 days but after I started I only walked three days alone. The other 15 days I walked with people. Most of the young people I met told me that I'm not the only one who loves Buhari and they volunteered to walk me to the next town," he says.
The excitement generated by his trek lifted his spirits.
"People from all over the world called me. People shared my number on social media so people from the UK and US would be calling me, encouraging me, giving me confidence to walk. Those following me to the next town also gave me encouragement so I was so happy, so happy.
"People started coming up to me and telling me about their problems. 'We have insecurity in our community, we don't have enough land to farm.' All different complaints. Some people said they need water and others that they need light.
"All I would tell them is to write it down, put it inside an envelope and if I should be given the opportunity to see the president then I will deliver their messages to him," says Mr Hashimu.
Suleiman Hashimu walked 750km (460
miles) and wore out six pairs of shoes over 18 days in order to see the
inauguration of Nigeria's new president.
His trek caught the
public imagination and when he completed his trek, he actually got an
invitation to meet Muhammadu Buhari before he was sworn in on Friday.Two years ago, Mr Hashimu was talking with a group of friends about what they would do if Mr Buhari, a former military leader, won the 2015 presidential election.
One owned a shop and said he would let people take whatever they wanted, free of charge, but Mr Hashimu did not have much money to give away.
"I made a promise that if Gen Buhari should win the election I would trek from Lagos to Abuja - so it started as this joke!" he says.
When Mr Buhari was declared the winner on 1 April 2015 - becoming the first opposition candidate to win a presidential election in Nigeria - Mr Hashimu's friends called him, reminding him of his promise.
That same day Mr Hashimu left his home in Ibadan, where he was working in the construction industry, and travelled to Lagos. The next morning he began his long walk.
He decided to walk for 12 hours each day and soon realised the scale of the task he had set himself.
But news of his journey quickly spread and he was greeted warmly at each village he entered.
"The journey took me 18 days but after I started I only walked three days alone. The other 15 days I walked with people. Most of the young people I met told me that I'm not the only one who loves Buhari and they volunteered to walk me to the next town," he says.
The excitement generated by his trek lifted his spirits.
"People from all over the world called me. People shared my number on social media so people from the UK and US would be calling me, encouraging me, giving me confidence to walk. Those following me to the next town also gave me encouragement so I was so happy, so happy.
"People started coming up to me and telling me about their problems. 'We have insecurity in our community, we don't have enough land to farm.' All different complaints. Some people said they need water and others that they need light.
"All I would tell them is to write it down, put it inside an envelope and if I should be given the opportunity to see the president then I will deliver their messages to him," says Mr Hashimu.