Former Head of State and 2011 presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari has promised Nigerians that if given the chance to rule in 2015, the opposition would not disappoint them.
He added that the emerging All Progressives Congress (APC) comprising the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), CPC, and the All Progressives Grand Allaince (APGA) would uphold the trust in transforming the country positively.
Buhari, who is also the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the CPC, made this statement yesterday in Kaduna while addressing a meeting of the CPC contact and mobilisation committee for the north-west.
He added that under the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), the entire system in this country had collapsed and urgent action was needed to put this country back on track and return it to its former glory.
He said, “The reason why we are here is to educate the people on the new party formation whose talks are ongoing; this movement for unity is a must for any CPC member.
“Any right-thinking person will know that, from 1999 to date, Nigeria has been blessed with human and natural resources. You will also agree that the leadership of this country has betrayed the nation and the people.
“From 2007, we started observing that if we are not united, we cannot overthrow the present set of leadership who is doing the wrong thing. What happened in 2003, 2007 and 2011 general elections does not show any sign of fairness and justice. Even the by-elections conducted has further indicated that there is no justice in the elections of this country.
“Those of you at the grass roots know better than I know that instead of the government educating our youths, putting the education system in the right perspectives to better the lives of the future leaders, they steal money in the name of doing so. But for the youths who lack what to do, they are given hard drugs, making them engage in all manner of atrocities.
“I was a governor, a minister of petroleum, a head of state, headed PTF — and all these were through the help of God.In 2015, if Nigerians agree to give us another opportunity, we will uphold the trust.
“Those of you elected under the CPC are those that truly won the elections. I spoke about ‘KareJini, BiriJini’ before; I don’t want to repeat it again. All those of you elected have lots of work to do now. Ensure that those who elected you agree with you for you to be re-elected, hold the party with your right hands and ensure that this unity is sustained.
“In 2015, we shall be victorious in capturing states including Abuja, Insha Allah, and, from now onward, any CPC member should be ready to spend his or her money. If you have goats, sell it or mortgage your properties for the sake of this country.”
He also said that it was still his belief that the 2003, 2007 and 2011 elections lacked fairness and people’s votes were not allowed to count, which has contributed for the lack of meaningful development in the country.
He urged the party faithful and Nigerians at large to support the merger movement which is a coalition of political parties determined to wrestle power from the ruling PDP and give every Nigerian a sense of belonging where their wellbeing will be given top priority.
The national coordinator of the contact and mobilisation committee, Senator Solomon Ewuga, in his speech earlier said the north-west meeting was aimed at sensitising party members on the planned merger and setting up committees for the zone.