Declaration pits Buhari’s men against opponents

President Muhammadu Buhari’s declaration to seek re-election next year may have pitted his supporters against his political foes. ONYEDI OJIABOR and JOSEPH JIBUEZE report the positions of both camps on Buhari’s decision.

MORE reactions yesterday trailed President Muhammadu Buhari’s declaration to vie again. The declaration, some said, saved the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from disintegration, said that it calmed fray nerves at the scheduled APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.

Others believe that the President broke an earlier promise that he would follow the Nelson Mandela by not seeking re-election.

 

APC saved from

disintegration, says senator

 

The Chairman of the Senate Committee Chairman on Police Affairs, Abu Ibrahim, said declaration saved the All Progressives Congress (APC) from disintegration.

The Katsina South senator said the President’s  announcement would go a long way in dousing what could have created an unmanageable crisis of confidence in the ruling party.

Ibrahim told reporters in Abuja that he was “joyous, elated and delighted” at the decision of President Buhari to seek re-election.

He added that “I think that it (seeking re-election) is also the right thing for him to do.”

According to him, if the President had decided not to contest, “it would likely have led to the disintegration of the APC.

“If Buhari decided not to contest, the NEC meeting would have ended up in combative situation. The meeting would have turned into explosive uncontrollable situation. Who will emerge as APC flag bearer: is it from the North or the South. It would have led a serious situation that would have been difficult to manage and control.

“If Buhari decided not to contest, it would have created confusion. That declaration saved us that confusion. I am joyous.

“There is no doubt that we are on the path of recovery in Nigeria. We are on the path of rebirth in Nigeria. If this gentleman continues for the next four years, Nigeria will be much better.”

The senator noted that if Buhari decided not contest, it would have been difficult for the APC to get somebody as widely accepted as the President as the party’s flag bearer.

Acknowledging that “there are pockets of problems here and there”, Ibrahim noted that Buhari had, to a large extent, dealt with Boko Haram insurgency.

On his blueprint for Buhari if he is re-elected, Ibrahim said that he would still put more emphasis on security, especially internal security.

He said: “Internal security is important. It means that the police must be rebuilt, given more funds and made viable to perform better. I will also put emphasis on the economy and infrastructure and investment.”

To those criticizing President Buhari he said: “They should continue their criticism while we will continue to give them answers. That is the beauty of democracy.”

 

Agbakoba: 2019 polls

will be competitive

 

ONE-TIME Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Olisa Agbakoba said the President’s declaration will trigger upsets in next years’ general elections.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and leader of the National Intervention Movement (NIM), however, said the declaration was within Buhari’s constitutional rights.

He told The Nation that with the declaration, the President had thrown the ball into the court of Nigerians for them to decide his fate.

On what he thought about Buhari’s declaration, Agbakoba said: “It’s his constitutional entitlement but what really matters is whether this means he will be re-elected is an entirely different matter as this will be decided by Nigerians.”

Agbakoba, a civil rights activist, said discussions were ongoing with a view to presenting a credible candidate who can match Buhari, predicting that next year’s general elections would be competitive.

On whether there is a credible candidate who can successfully challenge Buhari, Agbakoba said: “That’s to be taken for granted. I am aware there are massive consultations and alignments underway throughout Nigeria and very credible candidates will emerge to make the elections competitive and with strong possibility for upsets across Nigeria.”

 

‘Decision good for Nigeria’

 

Activist-lawyer Toluwani Adebiyi said Buhari’s decision to seek re-election was “good for Nigeria”.

According to him, the President’s honesty and discipline stood him out as the best candidate, adding that a victory for the opposition party would take Nigeria backwards.

Adebiyi said: “Buhari’s second coming is good for Nigeria. There are two things he possesses – discipline and honesty – rare qualities in present Nigeria Leaders. We need them and we will continue to need them.

“No doubt he has made some economic restructuring and diversification, benefits of which may not manifest until later years.

“Let him come back to reap and use what he had sowed and the looted money he had recovered for the betterment of Nigeria.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) coming back will only be to re-loot and waste the recovered money. It will be a reign of revenge.

“Honesty and discipline cannot be acquired; they are inborn. No PDP leader has such qualities. They will only take us back and down the drain in a despicable form that Nigeria may never find recovery.”

 

It’s timely, worthy, says Ngige

 

To Labour & Employment Minister Chris Ngige, President Buhari took a timely and worthy decision by declaring to run again.

He said: “President Buhari’s declaration is a timely and worthy step in the right direction. We shall meet all letter writers and their cronies in the electoral battle fields’. God will bless Nigeria.”

 

Obasanjo, IBB, others

not God, says minister

 

Communications Minister Adebayo Shittu said the stance of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida and others would not affect President Buhari’s re-election bid.

He urged supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) not entertain fear that the former leaders may block Buhari’s chance of coming back.

Shittu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja yesterday that since the former Nigerian leaders “are not God, there should be no apprehension’’.

In separate letters, Chief Obasanjo and Gen. Babangida, had advised the president not to run in the 2019 poll. They urged Nigerians to vote him out should he decide otherwise.

But Shittu, who described Buhari’s declaration as a welcome development, said: “Who is OBJ? OBJ is not God. IBB is not God. Obasanjo was president here, he wanted a third term and he didn’t get it.

“What Mr. President did yesterday (Monday), we had done that much back on his behalf; that is the Mohammadu Buhari/Osinbajo Dynamic Support Group.

“So, what he did yesterday was just a follow-up to what we had done about three months ago. And I want to assure you is that by the grace of God, Mohammadu Buhari will become president the second time.”

According to him, the president had distinguished himself as his achievement in three years had surpassed what the PDP did in 16 years.

He said: “For instance in the area of job creation for youths, no government has ever in one day employed 200, 000 graduates. It has never happened but under Buhari’s N-Power, that happened.

“Through this, he has provided jobs for 200, 000 families spread across the length and breadth of Nigeria.

“The government is still processing the employment of 300, 000 more graduates to make it 500, 000, this has never happened.

“In the areas of transport, works and housing, the last budget of the PDP government was less than N20 billion and most of these monies were stolen; diverted to private pockets.

“In 2017 alone, the Buhari government spent N255 billion on those subject matters; transport, works and housing. So, how do you compare?”

He said the government was building new roads across the Southeast states with $100 million dollars SUKUK loan and non-interest loan from Islamic Development Bank.

“For the first time, government is building new railway from Lagos to Kano, from Kano to Maiduguri, from Maiduguri to Calabar and from Calabar to Lagos. So the records are there,” he said.

 

Report on Buhari’s one-term

presidency wrong, says Adesina

 

Presidential spokesman Femi Adesina has described as a ‘misquote’ the report that President Muhammadu Buhari had pledged only one-term presidency and will never seek re-election in view of his age status.

Adesina, who is the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, was reacting to a contributor on Channel television programme via Skype, on Tuesday.

Yemi Akinbode, who contributed to the programme, said he was not surprised by the President’s declaration in spite of his pledge in 2014 not to seek re-election.

Adesina said: “No, that’s misquote, he was never, never quoted that way. If there is anything on record like that is a misquote because I was with him in South Africa when that issue came when he said, oh, he wished he had become president at the time he was a military governor that he would have done a lot for Nigeria.

“And the other happened in 2011. When he was running in 2011 he said, yes he would be a president for one term. But did he win in that year? No.

“The victory came in 2015. So, that being quoted in 2011 is not applicable again because he did not win that year.’’

Akinbode had said on the television programme: “It didn’t come as a surprise to me. We have seen indications that the president was going to run a long time ago.

“The President in 2014 said that he was only going to run for one term because of his age.’’

But the presidential aide maintained that it was not on record that Buhari had told the APC or any member of the party that he would do only one term in office.

On the purported vote of no confidence allegedly passed on the President by Northern Elders Forum and the Council for Shariah, Adesina said the two groups had the constitutional right to support anybody vying for political office in the country.

He cited an example of a former president of the country who equally failed to secure the votes in his state and region but ended up winning the presidential election twice.

On whether the president had obtained the support of his doctors before making his declaration, Adesina said Buhari was a responsible man who would never go against the advice of his doctor.

He said: “The President is a very responsible man. If there had been any warning, any red light from his doctor, you know, he wouldn’t have ventured into it, unless you are telling me there is something you know that I don’t know.

“But I know the President, as a very, very responsible man. If there was any warning he wouldn’t do it.’’

Adesina, who said that the President took him and other presidential aides unaware when he announced his intention to run for re-election next year.

He said the president’s declaration was in reaction to appeals by millions of Nigerians.

“Yes, there had been a lot of appeals. I have served in different meetings with different interest groups and all of them want him to run for second term in office.

“And do you know that whenever the president reacted to these groups he would speak on all other points they raised except the issue of second term.

“It has been like this in the past one year even before he went for medical vacation, these calls had started coming but Mr. President would not say a word and that reinforced my opinion that for him it was not a matter of do-or-die.

“It is just a matter of serving the country and if he feels that he has done it with the best of his ability that is just it.’’

 

The post Declaration pits Buhari’s men against opponents appeared first on The Nation Nigeria.