President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he is afraid of the “incredible resources” in the hands of the opposition ahead of the 2019 general election.
The president made this known yesterday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja when members of the Buhari Media Organisation paid him a courtesy visit.
Buhari said that the opposition were using their enormous resources to sponsor mischief against his government in a bid to make him unpopular.
He also commended and sympathised with his supporters who were taking most of the heat directed at him.
He said, “I don’t think I can thank you enough for your steadfastness under very difficult circumstances. It is not easy to defend this administration and more in particular to defend me.
“But your consistency has given me a lot of confidence. And I know you are doing it as a sacrifice not only in terms of physical or mental but material sacrifice.
“Because as I keep on saying, the opposition elements are now sitting on incredible resources which I am afraid we might not match at all. For that reason the opposition is sponsoring mischief from different angles which in spite of the incumbency of government we cannot absolutely stop.
“It is you who are fighting it and I cannot thank you enough for that. Most of the people I jailed have been given back all that they had taken before I was jailed.”
But in its reply, the Peoples Democratic Party said the president should be worried about his “rejection” by Nigerians instead of purported resources in the hands of the opposition.
Its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan said, “He should be worried about the failure of his government, not about money in the hands of the opposition. In 2015, Nigerians trusted Muhammadu Buhari and voted him to become President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. One clear year to the 2019 general elections, the same people have rejected him for failing to do anything meaningful to impact on their lives So, what should be his fear is the rejection by Nigerians who have made up their minds to throw him out in 2019.”