$1b arms fund is for 2019 presidential election —Sowore, publisher, Sahara Reporters

Omoyele Sowore, a presidential hopeful and publisher of the online medium, Sahara Reporters, has alleged that the $1 billion recently approved by President Muhammad Buhari to procure arms to fight Boko Haram is really meant for the prosecution of the 2019 elections.

He made the allegation while speaking with newsmen on Friday, shortly after a Town Hall meeting he held at the Gamaliel Onosode Hall, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, towards the realisation of his presidential ambition.

Sowore, who described the Buhari-led administration as a deceit, further said it was disappointing that the president followed the same path allegedly taken by his immediate predecessor, former President Goodluck Jonathan, to perpetrate himself in office beyond 2019.

“It is all glaring and to all intent and purpose, the approval of $1 billion for arm procurement by the president is nothing but part of the plan by President Buhari to fund the 2019 elections.

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“President Buhari seeks to contest the 2019 election and the money he released, purportedly to prosecute the war against the Boko Haram insurgents is really meant to prosecute the elections.

“It is unfortunate, but what President Buhari has done is a repeat of the style adopted by former President Goodluck Jonathan when they were sharing money among themselves in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2014.

“They came to office on the premise of integrity, but Buhari is doing the same thing done by Jonathan. There is no doubt about it. Buhari and his people in the All Progressives Congress (APC) have shown themselves to be very dishonest like the PDP,” he said.

Speaking on his presidential ambition, the Sahara Reporters’ publisher disclosed that he was determined to “democratically dethrone” Buhari from office in 2019, having failed to deliver on all the electoral promises he made in 2015.

According to him, the president had failed to deliver on the promises he made concerning all key areas, including ensuring adequate power supply, eradication of official and public corruption, road and infrastructural development, among several others.

Sowore however said he would achieve his ambition through what he described as a “movement of coalition with several political parties”, while not foreclosing talks with progressive and positive-minded Nigerians, irrespective of their political and religious affiliations.