President Muhammadu Buhari with members of the National Committee, Buhari Support Group, at the State House, Abuja... yesterday. PHOTO: PHILIP OJISUA
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There are strong indications that President Muhammadu Buhari would seek re-election in the 2019 general elections. Yesterday, his supporters, under the aegis of the Buhari Support Organisations (BSO), openly beckoned on him to seek a second term of four years, while opening his campaign office in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The gathering brought together some serving governors, ministers and other appointees, who called themselves “Buharists,” even as they declared war against cabinet members considered to be working against the President’s interest.
In attendance were Governors Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi); Yahaya Bello (Kogi) and Simon Lalong (Plateau); Ministers of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Mohammed Bello; Defence, Mansur Mohammed Dan Ali; Niger Delta, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani; and Minister of State for Health, Osagie Ehanire, as well as Chairman of the occasion, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora, among many others.
Head of BSO in the pre-2015 polls and presently Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali, lamented that Buhari’s government has been hijacked by 50 per cent opposition People Democratic Party (PDP) members serving as cabinet members, promising aggrieved supporters that the issue would be looked into.
He said: “When we were there working and jumping on the street and reaching every corner, we were shouting change, change for a better Nigeria. Now, the key word is good governance for Nigerians.
“We must agree that we cannot finish our four years without delivering and leaving something to be remembered for in this country for a long time to come. We have no problem with our President, because he is on course.
“But I must confess here that we have been infused by people who were not part of this journey and these people are the ones that call the shots today. That is why we are derailing.
“If we had the right people who had the vision and have been there in and out, I believe we would not be going the way we are going today. “It is my belief that those of us who have been in the trenches all these years to get good governance will surely be sleeping with belly ache everyday, especially in the recent past.
“Everyday, when you wake up, there is a story that makes you shiver. We cannot, as a people who have fought and committed everything we had to bring this government to being, sit back and allow things to happen the way they are happening.
“At the end of the day, the fingers will point at us, because we were the ones who went to people and urged them to give us their votes. These people that are calling the shots today were not there and when the chips are down, they will disappear and melt within the system. We are the ones that will be asked to account for what happened.
“Are we willing to face Nigerians and tell them that we have failed? I think this is the time for us to come together, create a system that is very robust enough to fight back and take back government in our hands and ensure that we deliver.”
He, however, called on all the support groups to “go back to the study room,” adding: “This is a commission, but it is also the beginning of the fight for good governance. We must get back to the trenches, draw our own battle plan and battle line.
“I enjoin you with that same commitment we had in 2015, I implore you to bear with us and commit yourself to a better future for Nigeria.” Lalong, who reinforced Ali’s assertions, added that some of them who are governors, too, were not carried along when appointments were made.
“Let Mr. President be aware that this is the time to do it, because even as governors, we are also complaining in our various states. We complained in our state that while we are here, sitting down, we hear appointments made and then people start asking, you are the governor, where is this man coming from? But when we turn right and turn left, we don’t know where such man is coming from.
“Many people have complained. I’m sure governors have complained that we should be able to know who and who will protect Mr. President and his administration, so that when you appoint him and you find him guilty or you find him wanting, hold the governor responsible, because in our various states when we established BSO, we also had BSO.
“But today when we turned back and find out that they are not enjoying, it means that something is wrong and that is the wrong we have pointed out and we must be very brave to say it.”
Abubakar, who said he was not part of the BSO at the beginning, but believe in the vision of the President, asked the supporters to continue the support, saying: “It is incumbent on us to support the BSO to succeed.”
Earlier, despite his silence on the issue, a group of lawmakers, under the aegis of Buhari Support Group (BSG), yesterday said the President has what it takes to lead the country beyond 2019.
Addressing State House Correspondents after a closed-door meeting with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, leader of the group, Senator Abu Ibrahim, said even though the issue did not form the crux of their meeting, members were poised to mobilise massive support for his re-election in 2019.
He said BSG, which is an umbrella platform of about 180 different support organisations that worked for the party’s victory in 2015, believes in Buhari’s philosophy and capacity to solve the myriad of challenges facing the country, as well as facilitate stability, prosperity and progress. Hence the group has been holding series of meetings and discussing the problems of Nigeria and how to improve the situation in the country.
Also speaking, Senate Leader and member of the group, Ahmed Lawan, expressed satisfaction with the APC-led administration, saying Buhari should be given another opportunity beyond 2019 to complete all that he has started, particularly in the areas of insecurity, anti-corruption and the strive to revitalise the economy.
He said the present administration has achieved a lot in driving the socio-economic development efforts and, therefore, deserves another chance.
A statement by the Presidency later quoted Buhari as expressing satisfaction with the group’s support for his administration.
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