President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said he was confident of victory at next month’s presidential election.
He stated that all that was needed was an extra push by the Presidential Campaign Council and the February 16 poll would become a formality.
Buhari stated this Abuja at the inaugural meeting of the council. He said, “I will like to appeal to you to dedicate yourselves once again to the task at hand. There is no doubt that victory is ours. But that shouldn’t mean we should rest even for a moment.”
The session was attended by the National Leader of the APC and co-chairman of the council, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; the APC National Chairman, Mr Adams Oshiomhole; and the Director-General of the campaign and Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, among others.
Reiterating the indispensable value of the members to the forthcoming elections, Buhari said “I urge you to rise to the challenge of the great expectations of this party and Nigerians – and the confidence that I personally have in the ability of all of you to deliver.”
In his speech, Oshiomhole said the state governors were already doing their coordination assignments and were busy in their respective states.
He said, “Don’t forget that elections are not defined in Abuja; it will take place in the 36 states and I am sure there are APC members who are campaigning for the Houses of Assembly, various House of Representatives and Senate constituencies and governorship posts.
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“The whole country is Mr President’s constituency, so he will visit each of the 36 states with appropriate messages.
“There is a saying that except you know and remember where you are coming from, you cannot appreciate where you are. Even in the life of a man, those who look at those in their front will never thank God enough, but when you look at your back, then you will appreciate that you have made a lot of progress.
“So, you need to constantly remind Nigerians of what happened in the 16 years of the PDP and what has changed in the past three and half years, and what will change over the next four years if given the mandate to continue and consolidate,” Oshiomole said.
A former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, was also at the meeting. He said he believed that the PDP has nothing more to offer the country.
However, the Peoples Democratic Party said Buhari should prepare for defeat in February.
The National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, who spoke to one of our correspondents, said his party had gained enough acceptance to win the election.