The Presidential candidate of the
All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari (retd), on
Tuesday likened the remaining
weeks to the 2015 elections to
extra-time in football.
He enjoined party leaders,
supporters and members to avoid
mistakes that could cost the party
the elections by remaining
resilient because their patience
would be tested in the days ahead.
Buhari said this at the Joint Leaders’
Meeting of the party, held at the
Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
According to him, he alongside
leaders of the party travelled the
length and breadth of this country,
and had heard the cry for change
which had become a common
refrain among Nigerians.
He noted that it was common
knowledge that the country was
passing through trying times
“which was imposed on us by the
bad Peoples Democratic Party
administration.”
Buhari said, “The imminent change
in answer to the yearnings of our
people has been delayed by the
postponement of the February 14,
2015 elections.
“Our patience and resilience will be
tested in the days ahead. We must
pass this test.
“In a time like this, which in
football analogy can be referred to
as extra-time; we must avoid
making costly mistakes. In the
weeks ahead, I would like to
implore you to remain true to the
vision – to build a country that
works for all of us and not just for
the few.
“To rescue and stabilise our nation
from the hands of plunderers. On
this, I believe we all agreed.
“The important issue today is that
we must use the next six weeks
that have been imposed on us to
re-charge and re-focus on our goal.
The goal is to win the elections
now slated for March 28 and April 11
with a convincing majority.”
The APC candidate enjoined party
members to aim for and achieve a
victory that would be beyond
dispute and proceed to form the
next government and start work on
the task of rebuilding our beloved
country.
He maintained that the objective of
an APC-led government was “to
build a great society that works for
all, a country where every child has
an equal opportunity to get an
education, where every young
Nigerian who needs a job can find
one and where the sick are looked
after and senior citizens are
provided for.
“And most importantly, a country
which gives value to human life,
where the welfare and security of
all is a national priority and
corruption is defeated.”
In his first reaction to the alleged
use of soldiers to rig the Ekiti
governorship elections, Buhari
described the revelations made by
Captain Sagir Koli as “worrisome.”
He also said the fact that there had
yet to be an official denial of the
most unfortunate event, “makes
me wonder, in the circumstances
that led to shifting of the date of
the Federal elections, whether the
security services are even now
being prepared to play a similar
role in the March 28 and April 11
elections.”
The retired General enjoined
Nigeria’s security services to
remain committed to their
constitutional responsibilities to
Nigerians and to avoid the
temptation of allowing themselves
to be dragged into partisan politics.
While stating that he had
tremendous respect for the
security services, he enjoined the
hierarchy of the military to stick to
and concentrate on their
constitutional duties to avoid
further complicating our national
situation.
Buhari commended members of
the APC for making the requisite
sacrifices which culminated in the
momentum, which he said, the
party was enjoying.
Earlier, a prominent leader of the
party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, had
likened milestones recorded by the
APC within its short lifespan to
bringing down the Berlin Wall.
He specifically expressed gratitude
to Buhari for leading the party to
avoid the booby trap set by the
PDP.
Tinubu said, “We have to be further
vigilant. Thank God that our
presidential candidate is now more
democratic and more obedient
than ever before. The booby trap
set was for our supporters to react
(to the postponement) violently so
that they will declare a state of
emergency but he (Buhari) led us
from that trap.
“The PDP government is desperate
to cling to power; we are
determined to take power from
tyrants. No one will serve you
power, the determination is yours.
We know now that they have been
unable to achieve the violent
booby trap.”
Tinubu congratulated the Osun
State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf
Aregbesola, for finding a “panacea
for the PDP rigging machine” in
Osun State. He said the party could
benefit from his experience in the
general elections.
The Director of the APC Presidential
Campaign Council and Rivers State
Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, who
gave a rundown of the party’s
campaign so far, urged party
members to pay attention to the
polling booth because “that is
where rigging starts from.”
by ROTMANLUV 2023-07-08, 17:34
