NO fewer than 135 Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs) on Thursday threw their weight behind the re-election of President Muhammad Buhari ahead of the forthcoming election billed for Saturday, February 16, 2019.
This was just as the groups said returning the country to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), it’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his arch supporters like former President Olusegun Obasanjo, General Ibrahim Babaginda and all the top military elements that collaborated to truncate Nigeria’s development would be a costly mistake.
President, Nigerian Human Right Community (NHRC), Comrade Adeleye Taiwo, declared the groups’ position at a press conference held in Lagos, asserting that the decision to back President Buhari in the coming election was devoid of any political undertone and urging Nigerians to vote for their choice.
According to him, the groups unanimously decided to queue behind Buhari after assessing the successes recorded by the previous administration and the incumbent administration in areas such as rail, health, education, in fighting corruption and security of the country, declaring that these were realities that could be seen.
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Besides, he said the personal credibility of President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo were considered also like a yard stick in adopting the duo as their choice in the forthcoming presidential election.
“The rationale is with respect to what is happening in the country. As human rights groups, we need to express our thoughts in political development.
“The realities are the facts that we have seen the sixteen years of the PDP and three and half years of the present administration in rail, health, education, in fighting corruption and security of the country. These are the realities of the moment which we can see,” NHRC president said.
While admitting that the current administration had not completely wiped away some ugly situations bedevilling the country, including poverty and hunger, he, however, expressed optimism about the future, declaring the country was not backward in any sense whatsoever.
“We cannot deceive ourselves by ignoring the fact that the situation in the country does not call for celebration. Poverty, hunger, hate and prejudices are the dominant trademarks in the country.
“We admit that the country is moving slowly since 2015. Many grounds that should have been covered have been left to lie fallow. Nevertheless, we think the country is not backward,” Comrade Taiwo said.
