He said this on Friday while speaking with state house
correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said Nigerians need to work together to bring an end to
banditry and oil theft in order to restore the economy.
He also appealed to the media to stop making the APC’s
decision to field Muslims as presidential and vice-presidential candidates a
matter for headlines, but that candidates should be allowed to campaign, and
the electorate allowed to decide on who to vote for.
“I think that even
the media, I want to use this opportunity to invite you people to prioritise
our area of interest. First, the mood of the country today is not about who the
candidates are,” he said.
“The mood of the country is that two or three years ago, we
were producing 2.1 million barrels of crude oil every day. For over 12 years,
that has been our main source of foreign exchange. Suddenly, because of the
activities of those who have anti-national interest, we’ve lost over a million
barrels and barely managing to produce one million.
“I think we should rise in unison to condemn the activities
of crude oil theft by anti-Nigerian interest groups and bring back the economy
of the country, because you have to have a country first before you have a
president.
“Look at the quantum
of banditry going on in Nigeria today, to the extent that bandits are
courageously even coming into the capital city. We should rise in unison and
condemn these activities.
“We should make emphasis on things that will unite the
country and by the grace of God, abandon those things that are capable of
dismembering the country. Our national interest is important. Our national
unity is important. Our ability to live together as brothers and sisters is
also important.
“The primary purpose of the government is for the security
of lives and property and the welfare of our citizens. To what extent have we
supported federal government in achieving this primary purpose?
“Those are things that should occupy our minds now. But if
you throw Nigeria into a situation where religious dichotomy, ethnic jingoism
will be at the front burner, it means you are working against Nigeria.
“So, let us allow political parties who have chosen their
candidates, no matter the religion where they come from, to go out and do their
campaign.
“It is left for the electorate to reject the ticket by not
voting for them or accept the ticket by voting for them. But if we continue to
make these things headlines, you are heating up our polity unnecessarily. I
want to beg you in the name of God, let us save our country.”
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