►Former Head of State and a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), has expressed pessimism over ongoing investigations into the recent attack on his life saying he does not expect anything from the process.
►He said this, among other issues, in an interview with a leading Hausa newspaper, Rariya in Abuja.
►He said this, among other issues, in an interview with a leading Hausa newspaper, Rariya in Abuja.
The former military ruler, who gave an insight into how the APC’s presidential candidate will emerge for the 2015 general elections, appealed to the opposition parties to join forces to dislodge the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Commenting on how far investigations have gone into the Kaduna attack, Buhari said, “you are asking me of progress. Have you forgotten that over 200 girls are missing for over three months now and nothing has happened? Ok.
I know I’m a former Head of State and I decided to be in politics of opposition. Imagine your daughter being among the missing girls. So to come and talk to me about a near-death situation while over 200 children are still missing is insensitive. I do not expect anything to come out of the investigation into the attack on me, honestly.”
While commenting on the Boko Haram insurgency and the inability of the Federal Government to deal with the insurgents, the APC leader said “the problem is, as I have said in a few places, I have been in this struggle in Nigeria since 1966 when a certain group decided to wipe out our military and political leadership which led to counter-coups, which led to civil war, and which led to all sorts of unsettling instability in the society. I have been in it all and to boot, I too have been detained for more than three years.
I tried to develop the capacity to bounce back and to appeal to people, especially the elite to be serious, to participate in politics so that credible people can be representatives and leaders in the country. That’s why I am in it. The National Assembly voted a year ago (or is it 18 months ago?) on the death of NEPA (may its soul rest in peace) after billions of dollars had been spent.
What do we have now in terms of electricity? Nothing. In pension funds, in petroleum industry, it’s the same situation…and no single person is being prosecuted. What will you think of this government?”
On whether or not he would contest the presidential elections in 2015, Buhari said “well I have to say that I am a loyal party member. Yes I have my own rights and so on, but being part of the merger, and the merger is not a political accident.
I participated in the presidential elections of 2003, 2007 and 2011, so for me to participate in the merger process is not an accident. I realised that my experience in partisan politics from April 2002 to now is the only way I think of in confronting this amorphous ruling party, the PDP.”
He, however, said that the way forward for our country is for the opposition parties that have representations in the state legislatures and in the centre to come together and face the PDP.
Unless that is done, we cannot stop the bad system. I have said it often that I am a converted democrat since 1991 when the Soviet Union, an empire of the 20th century, collapsed without a shot fired. People panicked, left nuclear sites, missile sites and now there are 18 or 19 republics. That was when I came to the conclusion that the democratic system of government is the best
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