Buhari gets kudos, knocks for comments at Imo presidential rally

Chiefains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Imo people yesterday reacted differently to President Muhammadu Buhari’s comments at the party’s presidential rally in Owerri.

The President had, in his address, asked APC members to remain focused in spite of the leadership crisis in the party and asked Imo people to vote across party lines in the general elections.

But reacting to the President’s comments, Charles Onyeagbako, Onumoha Harold Wilson, and others accused Buhari of working against party by his statement, stressing that there was no justification for making such comments at the rally.

“I am not a member of APC, but assuming I am a member of the party, I wouldn’t have supported Buhari. Truly, I‘m not surprised. In fact, I expected him to say worse things because he has been goofing all along. So, I didn’t expect anything different at the rally,” Onyeagbako said.

On his part, Onumoha, said: The statement is a self-centered approach to politics and governance because most governorship candidates in the state are looking for national assistance to enable them win the election.”

Responding, factional chairmen of the party, Marcellinus Nlemigbo, Kingsley Ononuju, as well as Ichie Best Mbanaso and other APC members, however, stated that people misunderstood Buhari.

They argued that the President, being a true democrat, was only rooting for a transparent election in the state that would respect the general wishes of the people.

Nlemigbo said Buhari could not have asked Imo people not to vote for the APC, stressing that people who thought otherwise either misunderstood him or were mere political jobbers.

“Buhari’s comment has no negative implications for APC’s chances of winning the election, especially the governorship position, adding that Hope Uzodinma remains the party’s candidate in the state.

“For me, there is nothing wrong in his statement. You know Buhari is a democrat. So, for him to ask people to vote candidates of their choice irrespective of religion or party affiliation, shows that he believes in transparent polls,” Mbanaso added.

Speaking, Ononuju noted that he (Buhari) meant was vote according to party lines “and that means voting for your party. You know, he is not a professor in English. He didn’t come here to force anybody to vote for APC but he knows that his party is APC.”