A former military head of state, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), on Wednesday officially declared his intention to vie for the presidency in 2015.
The event which took place at the Eagles Square, Abuja, was attended by All Progressives Congress members across the country.
Prominent among them were – former Lagos State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Bayelsa counterpart, Timipre Sylva.
Tinubu was accompanied to the event by an APC Senator, Babafemi Ojodu.
Also in attendance were – Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) and Tanko Al Makura ( Nasarawa).
Buhari, who addressed a crowd of supporters and members of the party in Abuja, said the level of corruption in Nigeria today was worse than any time in its history.
While promising to ensure the protection of the lives and property of Nigerians, he promised to ensure the creation of jobs for the youths as well as revive failing industries.
He said he empathised with Nigerians who, he said, were suffering deprivation on a daily basis.
According to him, millions of Nigerians are grappling with extreme poverty and barely eking out a living.
He said, “Nearly all are in fear for their lives or safety for themselves and their families due to insurgency by an ungodly group called Boko Haram, by marauding murderers in towns and villages, by armed robbers on the highways, by kidnappers who have put many communities to fright and sometimes to flight.”
The aspirant explained that it remained everyone’s duty to resolve and help the national effort to overcome these challenges.
He expressed gratitude to security operatives for their sacrifices in confronting the security challenges facing the nation.
He also saluted the courage of Nigerians for their “perseverance and resolve in the face of the oppressive PDP government.”
Buhari then went on to announce that, “I humbly wish to present myself before you, before all Nigerians and before God seeking to be elected as the APC Presidential candidate.”
The former military ruler explained that members of the opposition came to the realisation that the only way to relieve Nigerians of the burden of maladministration imposed on them by the PDP was to come together as one.
“We have tried to ensure that all processes in our party are transparent and credible. These structures will lead to free and fair polls. There is no point in holding elections if they are not free and fair,” he said.
While accusing the PDP of unwholesome practices, Buhari said, “Interference in the form of rigging which the PDP government has been practising since 2003 is the worse form of injustice as it denies people their rights to express their opinions whether they like it or not, injustice cannot endure.
“Since 1999, the PDP has presided over our country’s decline. Nigeria in my experience has never been so divided, so polarised by an unthinking government hellbent on ruling and stealing forever.
“We in APC have resolved to stop the PDP in its tracks and rescue Nigeria from the stranglehold of the PDP. The last 16 years of the PDP government has witnessed a decline in all critical sectors of Nigeria.”
He reiterated that apart from the Boko Haram insurgency, there was general insecurity in the land.
This, he said, was at a time when government was engaged in the manipulation of figures to announce “fantastic growth rates.”
Buhari said, “The economy continues to deteriorate while government continues to announce fantastic growth figures but manufacturing is down, agriculture is down, commerce is down simply because you sell oil and steal part of the money.
“That does not entitle you to cook figures and announce phantom economic growth when all the major indices namely, employment, manufacturing, farming, trading are demonstrably on the decline.”
He promised to revive the nation’s ailing industries and give the nation a new sense of direction by creating jobs through the pursuit of economic policies that would reduce poverty and redistribute the nation’s wealth among its people.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Rotimi Amaechi, had said the 14 governors on the party’s platform had resolved to support whoever emerged as the party’s flag bearer.
He said, “The governors in the APC are determined to work together for this change in all our meetings we insist that whoever emerges as the party candidate will be supported.
“You know our dear Gen. Muhammadu Buhari is one of the aspirants for the ticket of the APC right? And you know he is a material they don’t have in the other party. If they say they have a material like him they should show us somebody who is anti-corruption like Buhari.
“APC provides an alternative for the country. We are tested and we will never disappoint Nigerians.”
He used the occasion to take a swipe at the PDP-led Federal Government for claiming credit for Nigeria’s Ebola containment success story.
Also, one time National Chairman of the PDP and second Republic Minister, Chief Audu Ogbeh, debunked claims that Buhari was a religious bigot.
Ogbeh said, “I am a Christian so is Adams Oshiomhole, so is John Oyegun, so is Rochas Okorocha. Those calling him a fanatic are no more Christians than we are. We don’t want to call them Pharisees and Sadduces, claiming they are more holy, more catholic than the pope.
Meanwhile, the PDP said it was pleased to welcome Buhari to the 2015 presidential contest.
While congratulating and wishing him well on his ambition, the party in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said it noted that Buhari’s criticism of Jonathan on economy was faulty.
He said that the nation was rated number 48 in the world, while the foreign reserve stood at $3.6bn and foreign debt stood at $36bn.
Metuh said, “It is incontrovertible that in the last 15 years of the PDP leadership, especially the last three years of dynamic and purposeful administration provided by President Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria’s economy has become the largest in Africa and the 26th largest in the world. Similarly, our foreign reserve is now over $39bn, and our foreign debt reduced to less than $7bn from $36bn.
“Besides, Gen. Buhari also told supporters that Nigeria’s agricultural sector has gone down under the PDP, a statement which also does not reflect the reality on the ground.”
He added that the country’s food import had reduced from N1.1tn in 2010 to N684bn.”
Muhammadu Buhari is the Architect of corruption & hardship in Nigeria.
ReplyDeletePlease do a search with his name on Encyclopedia Britannica & you ll find the following:
Muhammad Buhari
Alternate title: Muhammadu Buhari
Written by The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica
Muhammad Buhari, Muhammad also spelled Muhammadu (born Dec. 17, 1942, Daura, Nigeria), Nigerian military leader and politician, who served as head of state (1984–85).
Educated largely in Katsina, Buhari took military training in Kaduna as well as in Great Britain, India, and the United States. He was involved in the military coup that ousted Yakubu Gowon in 1975 and was appointed military governor of North Eastern state (now Borno) that same year. He was appointed federal commissioner for petroleum resources by Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, who became military head of state when Gowon’s successor, Murtala Mohammed, was assassinated in 1976. By 1977 Buhari had become the military secretary at Supreme Military Headquarters, which was the seat of government. By September 1979 he had returned to regular army duties and commanded a division based in Kaduna. Although elected government had returned to Nigeria in 1979, dissatisfaction with what the military perceived as corrupt politicians led to another military coup on Dec. 31, 1983, and Buhari was chosen unanimously to be the new head of state.
Insurmountable economic problems plagued the Buhari regime as petroleum prices collapsed in the face of expanding foreign debt. Buhari instituted austerity measures that caused severe hardship to the average Nigerian. In addition, political corruption continued unabated, with politicians escaping to Western countries with millions of dollars in government money. In an effort to stop dissension, Buhari instituted restrictions on the press, political freedoms, and trade unionists. By August 1985 even the military had had enough, and Ibrahim Babangida took control of the government. Buhari was detained in Benin City but was released at the end of 1988.
It was Buhari's regime that brought an end to the unprecedented looting that was the order of the day under Shagari. That same regime brought sanity into the nation but played into the hands of some fifth columnist headed by Babangida who planted what we are reaping today. The high level of impunity going on now require people of his calibre to safe this ship from hitting the rock.
DeleteWHO IS AFRAID OF BUHARI?
DeleteI write this because of millions of Nigerians who are below 30 and who constitute a significant chunk of our voting population.
This is the ICT generation that is largely ignorant about the events of the Buhari era (1984-85) and so can be
misinformed and misled by needless propaganda. I have sat with many in the under-30 bracket and those slightly above who only have faint recollections of the Buhari era and the level of ignorance about that era is amazing.
Before being MILITARY Head of State, Buhari had been Governor of one of the Northern States (under Obasanjo’s Military government) as well as Minister for Petroleum. He later served as Chairman of PTF under Abacha.
Please consider the following unassailable facts:
💮He birthed and supervised the establishment of our existing refineries.
💮There was no religious crisis while he was Head of State. It started under his successor IBB!
💮In his time as Head of State he reduced inflation from 23% to 4%, by fiscal discipline and a homegrown economic team (not achieved under any other era, even military).
💮JJ Rawlings of Ghana took over 2yrs before him, and killed all the corrupt leaders, while Buhari only sentenced
the corrupt leaders here to prison.
💮Under his watch as PTF Chairman, what he did in road construction in that short period hasn't been matched by almost 16yrs of the PDP rule.
💮Hospitals and universities around the
country never witnessed as much benefits as they got from the PTF from any government after or before his time.
💮Despite serving in senior capacity in the oil sector, first as Minister for Petroleum and then Petroleum Trust Fund, Buhari has no petrol station, much less a rig, refinery or an oil block
like so many of our leaders.
💮He could have retired into nauseating opulence like most of his counterparts (IBB or Danjuma or even OBJ) but didn't.
💮Instead of hobnobbing with the high and mighty, he has cast his lot with the ordinary man most of who follow him out of hope and belief in his values.
People who know him have said of him... "All I need from Buhari is his word, I can take it to the bank".
🔯He is the only politician in the Country
today who fills rallies without renting a crowd. The Kaduna rally of 2nd March is eloquent proof!
·He refused to collect an allowance while serving as Chairman of the PTF because he said since he was already drawing a pension from government, his conscience would not allow him to draw another salary from the purse of the same government.
🔯He is the only former head of state that does not own property or land in Abuja .
🔯Every attempt to rubbish him through
probes in time past eneded up vindicating him!
🔯The man who was
asked by OBJ to take over the running of PTF before it was scrapped with the aim of probing and indicting Buhari, was the one who ended up being prosecuted for misappropriating $100m of PTF funds! Buhari again, was vindicated
🔯He has OPENLY challenged those who
accuse him of religious fundamentalism to come out and show proof. No one has till today, taken up the challenge. His
personal driver of many years is a Christian from Plateau State!
🔯His government initiated the War Against Indiscipline that has made environmental cleanliness, queuing up, not urinating by the roadside etc
features of our national life even till today.
Does it then surprise you why corrupt people would be spreading such heinous rumours about Buhari?
He is a threat to them and they know what he is capable of doing to corruption and corrupt people when he comes into office! So shine your eyes and make the right decision.
If honesty and
probity are the things you want for Nigeria, now is the time to choose right. When you cast your vote for BUHARI, you would have cast one vote for an honest man.
Now that you know better, will you please educate others BY FORWARDING THIS TO AS MANY AS YOU CAN!!!
Thanks you for this post and may God bless you, I knew it I also confirmed this story from encyclopedia
ReplyDelete"General Yakubu Gowon ruled this country for 11 years part of which was the oil boom era and till date you can see Gowon flying commercial airlines.
ReplyDeleteBuhari ruled for less than two years during austerity measures and till today he travels on a Chatered aircraft . It's even cheaper to own one than to charter an aircraft each time you fly. He is contesting his fourth presidential election. He lost three and pursued the case all the way to the Supreme Court , being able to pay Senior advocates to appear at the Supreme Court . The minimum appearance fee for a SAN at a a Presidential election case at the Supreme Court is 25 million naira . Today he is buying a form for 27 million naira. In all his campaigns for Presidency, he has never spent less than 500 million naira. I can agree if you say he is sponsored. At least we know those who sponsored Obasanjo. Who are the sponsors of Buhari ?"
This is a good account but to add. To these Buharri was the one who truncated democratic government of elected prreident Shehu Shagari ,it was his regime. Tharr killed. Inocent citizen Mrr OWo by bacck dating to law on firing squad on the offence of drug trafiking an office the boy committed before he took over power and before the law come into existence.Buhari was a titular head of state as it was Late attuned Idiakpo that was in control and brought in decipline so I don't see how this man who had lost election against Jonathan , Obasonjo, Yaradua thinks he will wine now.. He had opportunity when he was younger is at more than 70yrs of age that he will change Nigeria. The truth that APC does not have anybody and therefore no agenda than to fight Jonathan.
ReplyDeleteBuhari you are riding on a horse made of sticks,it will break
ReplyDeleteThanks for the documentary which is a plus to Buhari's CV. Can you now see why the inexperience militant (GEJ), that was always in the creek for bunkering, has become ignorantly clueless about the problems bedeviling this nation. We cannot continue like this for another 4years. Change is there inevitable. Ade
ReplyDeleteChange is inevitable but not Buhari!
ReplyDeleteBe wise, Buhari is the answer. He is the only one that can collect the country from the hands of these devil who inhibit GEJ from performing. If GEJ continue we shall buy petrol 200N per litre.
DeleteOk! Honestly, I agreed with all the criticism against Buhari, but sorry am not ready to put again 4 good years of my life into the hands of uncle Jo. I can't gamble that.
ReplyDeleteSAI KA YI, GENERAL. The general has decided to take the bull by the horn and for this, we must all rally together in his support. I know people from a certain geographical location have been brain washed into believing all sort of lies about the general, the clear truth is that he is innocent of all charges and stand out tall among all former presidents and heads of states. His fight against corruption was never matched, his belief in the unity of the country cannot be in doubt, his sincere words of conviction is always inspiring, he always lead by example and in his former short term in office, two refineries were built. He is proven not to have stolen a kobo despite heading several entities, like PTF, NIGERIA, etc. His integrity has never been in doubt and Nigerians can count on him to salvage the dying country. Sai Buhari come 2015.
ReplyDeleteIt is because of Jonathan I will come out and vote, I cannot cast my vote for any APC members, it is only those who did not have any encounter with their governments will see them as Messiah, but i will surely vote for Jonathan come 2015.
ReplyDeleteThis buhari is not a democrat and has done worse that what he blames PDP. Of not for his coup our democracy would have matured pass this mess. So how can he claim all this now? What a hypocrite in the mist of a forgetful nigerian masses
ReplyDeletethe general has good record let give him chance to save us from the hand of corruption and looters eg babagida
ReplyDelete