Buhari Will Run Again in 2019, Says SGF
Amaechi: Nigeria will go 10 steps backwards if APC loses in 2019
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, yesterday declared that President Muhammadu Buhari would seek re-election in 2019.
Mustapha who was represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Political Matters, Hon. Gideon Sammani, at a rally organised by the Democratic Youth Congress (DYC) at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, said President Buhari is about the only option Nigerians have to salvage the rot in the country.
According to him, “I am glad that you have mentioned some of the person who are interested in leading this country, but if you give them the ticket, they will do nothing with it because they have nothing to offer to this country.
“You and I are here because we believe President Buhari has the right credentials to rule this country. We do not have an alternative to the president for now.”
Mustapha stated that Buhari is an embodiment of the change mantra that the All Progressives Congress (APC) stands for, adding that he (Buhari) did everything to fight indiscipline as the then military Head of State.
The SGF told the group that other aspirants for the position of the president in 2019 have nothing to offer.
He said: “I will present your messages to him. I congratulate you for your support for President Buhari to run in 2019.
“I am aware of some of the aspirants who are interested in leading this country, but if you give them the ticket, they will do nothing with it. They have nothing to offer to this country. You and I are here because we believe in President Buhari and we know he has the capability to lead us.
“Buhari is a man with several qualities of leadership, a God send; his coming is divine to rescue this country from total collapse due to the destruction that has been done to the economy by the past administration.
“We all know that Buhari is transparent and honest. He has come with the change philosophy. He has lived for these in order to bring change to Nigeria. Since his military days, he stood to fight corruption, indiscipline among others.
“Many people fear him because he does not compromise corruption. And corrupt people are afraid that they will be brought to book. And those who have already looted the treasury of this country are followed by the security agencies, and by the grace of God, Buhari will not relent in this fight.
“He will continue. The politics of this country is no more the politics of money or do or die politics. Anybody who wants to lead this country must sacrifice. Buhari has already transformed and changed the image of leadership and that of this country both locally and internationally.”
Speaking earlier , the Convener of the rally and DYC National Chairman, Hon. Kassim Mohammed Kassim, made it known that the team was ready, committed and dedicated to work for Buhari to be reinstalled in 2019 as president.
Kassim explained that they are working around the 36 states of Nigeria including Abuja for the actualisation of President Buhari’s continuity beyond 2019.
He explained that they were working with over 15 APC state governors towards actualising their goal.
Kassim said: “We felt there is a need for us to mobilise for Buhari’s 2019 reelection. We know the role we played when the president was away for medical checkup. A lot of people said Buhari will not come back but we kept the hope alive because many lost hope. We have mobilised for a rally in support of Buhari.
“We are calling on Buhari to come out and make a public statement to run in 2019. If this does not happen between now and next Monday, we will be forced to go to court and invite him to come and make a public statement.
“Some of our leaders are misleading the youths in Nigeria that power should be given to the youths. We are not in a hurry, all we are asking for is that our leaders should involve us in the system; all those
who wants to contest in other parties are older than Buhari.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has said if the All Progressives Congress (APC) loses the 2019 election, Nigeria will be taken 10 steps backwards.
The minister said this while speaking with select journalists in Abuja yesterday.
Amaechi said the APC government needs another four years to surmount the challenges it met in office.
While admitting that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has made mistakes, he said the president “is eliminating corruption.
“For any reason we lose the election, you the young ones are taking yourselves and Nigeria 10 steps backwards because the elites who left to PDP are waiting in the wind.”
“Are we perfect? No. No human is perfect. Are there mistakes? Yes. There is no human being who doesn’t make mistake. Are we on course? Yes. Are the challenges daunting? Yes. Are we going to overcome them? Yes.
“I hope Nigerians remember that by the time we came, we were borrowing money to pay salaries. I hope you people remember that we are not borrowing money to pay salaries, we are using our money.
“If we are not borrowing to pay salaries, it means we are generating our own money. I hope Nigerians remember during the past government oil was at 110, 120 dollars. But when we came in oil was $58. The highest that we have gotten is the mistake that happened in the last two weeks that it rose to 70 or 80 after one day it came down to 50-something, instantly.”
Amaechi, according to The Cable, said in the buildup to the 2015 election, Buhari called him to consider a strategy for reducing the expectations of Nigerians from an APC government.
“The problem was the expectations. Most of you, in fact, the president got worried and called me and said ‘Amaechi go and think of how we can reduce the expectation’ but I said, ‘Oga I’m not a magician.!
“That we will bring down the price of fuel, that is determined by market forces. What we are rather doing is what the president said. One reason our economy is not growing is lack of infrastructure.”