The President, Muhammadu Buhari has threatened any corrupt individual behind his election into office noting that they will not be spared in the ongoing anti-corruption fight.
Buhari issued the threat while speaking in an interview he granted a magazine, The Interview. He also noted that some persons which he failed to name pressurized him into running for office adding that the pressure and insistence was so great that he finally yielded.
Recall that the Kaduna state Governor, Nasir El-Rufai some months ago credited his governorship aspiration to the President adding that he was also forced to run for the state office by the President after his contributions to igniting the Presidential ambition in Buhari.
Buhari further faulted the view that he was sparing members of his political party, All Progressive Congress, APC. He said: “Do you just grab people along the road and take them off to court for trial just because you want to create a semblance of balance?
“First, there has to be an accusation which must be properly investigated, and when a prima facie case has been built, you prosecute.
“If any of my backers or party (APC) members has anything established against them, let’s see whether I will shield anyone from prosecution.
“There seems to be a preponderance of the People Democratic Party members standing trial because they had been in power for 16 years, they had access to the public treasury and abused the trust reposed in them.
“You can be assured that anybody caught in corruption will answer for it irrespective of party, tribe or religion.”
Buhari while speaking on the pressure mounted upon him to contest said those who pressured him knew he had good intentions for the country, he added that they had faith in him to restore the nation which was already falling apart at the time to its glory days.
“You will recall that shortly before the 2011 presidential election, I had said it was the last time I would offer myself for elective position and I meant it, but the following years, we saw our country virtually falling apart on all fronts.
“People felt a rescue exercise was necessary and a large number believed I could do it.
“They made overtures to me and the pressure was so enormous that I could not say no. As they say, the rest is history”.