Gen. Buhari, who spoke personally for the first time since the party’s registration last Wednesday, praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its impartiality.
The APC will give Nigerians a new lease of life, the former Head of State said, while receiving members of the Democratic Emancipation Movement, who visited him in his office in Kaduna.
Gen. Buhari, who contested the presidential election three times in the past, said the main focus of the APC now is to mobilise Nigerians to push the PDP out of power in 2015.
On whether he will run in 2015, he said: “My decision will be tied to the Constitution of the APC; if the party chooses me as its candidate, I will contest; if they do not consider, I will not contest but I will still support the party. My decision to run in 2015 will solely be the party’s decision.”
Gen. Buhari recalled the journey leading to the merger, saying: “I thought about this merger since 2007. This is because I found out that none of the opposition parties can challenge the PDP successfully. But if we come together with those that have representation at the National Assembly and the Houses of the Assembly and go back to sensitise our constituencies, even if the PDP wants to rig, they would find it impossible to rig.
“I discovered that by been so divisive, we made ourselves very vulnerable. So, the best way to survive and for this country to stabilise, we had to come together and I believe along the line, we made necessary sacrifices,” he said.
Gen. Buhari praised INEC for registering the APC. He said: “To be honest, we have to thank INEC, because when we thought we had applied according to the 2010 Electoral Act, INEC drew our attention to the section that said there must be the headquarters at the federal capital that is good enough to be called a headquarters of a national party, then our Constitution, our manifesto, the harmonisation of the three main parties.
“We thought that the initial nine signatories were enough to manage the party in the interim between registration and convention, but INEC advised us that we needed to get between 25 and 35 people to come out from the six geo-political zones to sign.”
“If the INEC wanted to be wicked, they could have kept mute and just sent us a letter that our application was not complete; they could have done that. But for them to send us an observation which was later corrected, I believe they were very impartial and we thank them for that,” Gen. Buhari said.
In his view, the APC’s emergence has lowered tension in the country. “The tension has already come and gone. People now think that they have a viable alternative. These feelings and belief is across the country, not only in the North or in the Southwest. There is a good feeling about the party in all the political zones of the country.
“Our next important step is the mobilisation of constituencies to make sure that elections are conducted according to law.
“In 2003, 2007, 2011, a lot of disgraceful things happened during those elections. We are trying now to put the structure of APC on the ground from the ward to the national levels with the hope to give Nigerians hope and to win power.
“Those that are going to be in charge of the party from now till the convention are the people that are very committed to the party’s stabilisation and political strength. We have started working hard to ensure that we avoid problems.”
He attributed the registration of the APC and other political parties to the efforts of the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), the Lagos lawyer and right activist.
“It was the late Chief Fawehinmi, who took the letter I wrote and went to the Supreme Court to stop the ruling party from denying other parties registration. We thank Gani Fawehinmi for his foresight to challenge the matter at the Supreme Court,” Gen. Buhari said.
Leader of the Democratic Emancipation Movement, Matamaki Tom Maiyashi, said Nigerians were aware of several efforts aimed at sabortaging the registration of the party.
He said: “The registration of APC marked a point in the political history of our country that will mark the beginning of a watershed in the political struggle of Nigeria.
“In fact, the PDP is very lucky that APC is registered, because the registration of APC has doused a lot of tension in the country.
“People now have hope that there is an alternative. It was not an easy thing, but we have an alternative. The monster that is called the PDP will be driven out by 2015.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Thanks to GEJ bcause he portrayed the real image of democracy hear
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Buhari should understand that to team up with Tinubu in order to fight a common enemy does not make them friends. We know who are democrats.
ReplyDeleteThis new party has nothing to offer other than the usual norm. They just want power for the sake of it not because they want to make a change. It is a good thing though because it would make the ruling pary sit up and know that it is no longer business as usual.As a political observer i notice that the APC is just another pdp in the making in that they have no ideology and are composed of more or less of the same old corrupt politicians. A party where you have former disgruntled pdp elements, a few honourable people who will never have a say, former despots, dictators, indicted politicians (both present and past)cannot offer much alternative to the present conditions on ground. I foresee a situation whereby power at the federal level will still remain with the pdp but we will have a split national assembly and the states split two thirds to one third in favour of pdp, reason being that pdp still has more of a national spread than the APC. 2015 will be too soon for the APC to convince the general populace that they are the messiahs we have been looking for. If they are able to keep their house in order beyond 2015(no matter the outcome of the elections) and are able to perform in the states they win in 2015 then maybe the future belongs to them. But for now a party that comprises buhari, tinubu, el rufai, tom ikimi, femi fani kayode, lai mohammmed,ribadu and their inkling does not inspire much good because it only portrays a change of nomenclature but not a change of attitude in nigerian politicians. The true test of their ability to change things will surface in the manner in which their leaders and political contestants will be picked and the manner in which the party runs its affairs. We are all waiting and watching. God bless Nigeria. kudos must be given to both President Jonathan and inec for the registration of the party and i say this to all politicians power is of God and must not be a do or die affair. If you aspire to lead then you must be ready to place others above yourself and start to make the change from within yourself.God help us all as we seek to make a our great country Nigeria a better place for our yet unborn children to live in.
ReplyDeleteGood one but Buhari should not even contest in the primary, let him give any candidate that emerges from the primary full support. Moreover, he (Buhari) and GEJ both told us they would not contest again. If they do, then they are liars
ReplyDeleteGood talks from Buhari.
ReplyDeleteYou this man? what is the problem of this your do or die matter?
ReplyDeleteConny people full of lies, words from you politicians cannot be trusted anymore because you are all bunch of disappointment.
ReplyDeleteBuhari no way for u
ReplyDeleteBuhari is our man,our choice, our candidate and by GOD‘S Grace our president by 2015. No amount of critics and blackmails can ever change our minds against the general.
ReplyDeleteBuhari and Tinubu's greed will destroy APC,, and all those calling for Buhari should have a re-think,, we are going forward, If Buhari will not support young Minded individual for president, both Buhari and his Supporters will fail .
ReplyDeleteWhether you like it, beleive it, dream it, otherwise or not, Buhari can never be the president of Nigeria EVER. So if APC knows what's good for them, they should better opt another person's candidacy but certainly not Buhari.
ReplyDeleteBuhari, don't deceive urself. If APC tries fielding you as their pointsman, then they are due for immediate doom
buhari should learn a lesson from former elders state men ,,,,,,,,,,,obj was brought from prison for a reason and was made the president he tried for a third term on his own he failed babangida tried he fail ,,,,,,,,,,,all other past leaders stay away as respected state elders politics it is dirty game how long will the general remain in this dirty game
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