Buhari
Former Head of State Gen. Muhammadu Buhari
spoke yesterday on the race for the All Progressives Congress (APC)
presidential ticket.Gen. Buhari, 71, who was Head of State from December 31, 1983 to August 27, 1985, told members of the Buhari Support Group (BSG) in Abuja that though he was confident of getting the ticket, he was not desperate for it.
He is expected to formalise his plan to run next week.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar last week became the first aspirant for the APC ticket to declare his interest in the race.
The APC presidential primary is fixed for December 2.
Gen. Buhari, who has run for president thrice, urged his supporters not to be rude to the party’s leaders or other aspirants.
He was accompanied to yesterday’s event by former Kaduna State Military Administrator Col. Hamid Ibrahim Ali, former Minister of Internal Affairs Brig.-General John Shagaya and former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Alhaji Umaru Dembo.
He said: “With support, I intend to offer myself for the position of the president of the republic on the platform of our great party. I intend to make a formal announcement soon and I hope I can count on your continuing support and sacrifice.
“However, I would like to point out to you that to be more meaningful, your support must extend beyond my person and always be available to the party and all those the party puts forward because it is the party that is the platform.
“You must at all times remember that the APC is a party with several qualified people for each and all the positions that will be contested, including that of the president. It is the primaries that will determine who eventually represents the party and in which capacity.
“If I get the party’s nomination, I expect you to redouble your effort and commitment until we clinch the presidency. But, in the event that it happens to be one of the other aspirants who wins, I will expect you, as good party men, to extend to him your support. We are a united party and united we shall remain because our strength lies in our unity.
“For this and for other reasons, I must warn all my supporters, volunteers and other well wishers within the party and even out of it not to insult or be rude to any other aspirant or party leader on my behalf.
“My supporters must not engage in any kind of behavior or conduct that will tarnish the image of any leader or promote division within the ranks of the party. Whoever does that should know that he or she is working for the enemy.
The former leader added: “Today, we are in the 15th year of purposeless leadership by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and all we have seen is unprecedented deterioration in the security and law and order situation, astronomical rise and intensity of corruption and in the failure of governance.
“And as we reach this last lap of the journey, I would like to request that we concentrate all our efforts and energy towards realising and achieving change in this country.
“The only way to meaningful change in this country is to vote the PDP out of power to which it was never legitimately elected anyway. The task before us today is wide ranging and very great.
“The first and most important is to take away power from those who have been misusing it. Indeed, except for the call of patriotism, public spiritedness and an abiding love for the people of this country, nothing will today make any honest, honourable and sane politician want to be saddled with Nigeria with an economy in trouble, with its perilous security situation, with its extensive and almost unmanageable corruption and with its pervasive lawlessness. And a government (is there really a government?) that is not working.
“We have made all the necessary preparation to take power from the inept ruling party. For the first time, the credible opposition in Nigeria has come together in order to give the PDP a good run for its money.
Gen. Buhari praised members of the BSG for standing. “We don’t have anything to offer you by way of payback for all your massive and unprecedented support, except our commitment to be even with you at all times and to preserve, protect and discharge the trust you will put in our hands.”
Also yesterday, APC members in the Kaduna State House of Assembly endorsed Gen. Buhari.
Minority Leader Muhammad Ali, who led other APC members to address a news conference, said Gen. Buhari remained the only candidate that could salvage of Nigeria.
Ali said the APC members resolved to endorse Gen. Buhari because he is an incorruptible leader.
“Never in the history of this nation have we come close to a failed state as it is being experienced, owing to the ineptitude of those charged with the responsibility of leading this great nation.
“When General Muhammadu Buhari was the Military Head of State, Nigeria blossomed as a nation and discipline was restored and Nigeria was respected worldwide.
“Many are afraid of Gen. Buhari because they are beholden to corruption and greed,” the lawmaker said.
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