Tuesday, 19th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

‘Nobody would unseat me’, Buhari vows

By Dennis Erezi
15 February 2019   |   1:44 pm
Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday vowed that nobody will unseat him after Saturday's presidential election in the country. Buhari, who was elected president in 2015 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is running for another four years in office. In an interview published on CNN Africa's Instagram page, Buhari declared that…

PHOTO: Twitter/Tolani Alli

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday vowed that nobody will unseat him after Saturday’s presidential election in the country.

Buhari, who was elected president in 2015 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is running for another four years in office.

In an interview published on CNN Africa’s Instagram page, Buhari declared that he was confident of remaining in office despite increasing tension from opposition parties, particularly- People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Buhari’s election in 2015 halted PDP’s 16 years of uninterrupted democratic rule since Nigeria’s independence. He emerged president, unseating an incumbent president Goodluck Jonathan.

When asked, “This is a vibrant democracy. You came in, unseating the incumbent. Are you worried the same could happen to you?”

“No. Nobody would unseat me,” Buhari replied.

A series of issues surrounded Buhari’s tenure as Nigeria president since 2015. His medical stability has been a subject of public debate, particularly his 105 days of medical vacation in the United Kingdom.

Buhari, however, did not disclose his medical status despite the clamour from the PDP, other opposition parties and a section of the Nigeria public.

Instead, the president said he is fit to lead the country for another four years.

“Some people say you don’t have the stamina for another four years,” the interviewer asked, “what is your response to them?”

“Maybe they should give you another answer. I am ready to take this country forward for the next four years,” Buhari said.

On terrorism and insecurity in the country, Buhari insisted that Boko Haram was no longer having a grip on any local government area in the region.

Buhari said, “We have 774 local governments in this country. They (Boko Haram) used to hold 17. They are not technically holding any local government now.”

The president, who stated that his government doing its best to further curb insecurity challenges in the country, commended members of the international community for support to the fight against insurgencies.

Buhari said Boko Haram “are indoctrinating young men and women, especially girls, wrap them up with explosives and let them explode them in soft targets like churches, mosques, marketplaces, motor parks and other places.”

“Of course, we are doing our best (to contain the terror) and we thank some foreign countries in Europe and the United States for training our armed forces and going to the battlefront to see how they have performed.”

0 Comments