AHEAD of 2019 general election, a Christian group, Coalition of Christian Groups in Nigeria and Diaspora for Good Governance have backed the presidential ambition of former Sokoto State Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa.
Addressing journalists at the end of their meeting in Abuja, one of the congeners, Professor Adeniyi Ojukitu said the group is supporting Bafarawa because he stands out in quality among other aspirants.
He noted that Nigeria currently has suffered from misrule over the years which has led to the destruction of lives and properties, corruption nepotism and other vices which have impeded on the growth of the country.
“Our desire to have the opportunity of actively participating in Nigeria’s Democracy remains unattended by successive governments, in spite of several Federal High Court judgements in support of us exercising our Constitutional suffrage rights as Nigerian citizens, from the convenience and comfort of our foreign countries of abode.
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“It is on record that no modern country achieves quantum leaps in development without the active solicitation and “policy-driven” enabled participation of its Diaspora. India and China stand today as glaring examples of countries whose economies were revolutionized by the returning USA and Western-trained Engineers, IT Specialists, Physicians, Economists, Science Graduates, Educationists, and other Diaspora Educated technocrats.
“Therefore, we in the Diaspora are now fully resolved that we can no longer stand by on the sideline and watch our dear country continue to wobble, falter and degenerate into the Banana Republic of anarchy and rudderless mis-leadership,” Professor Ojutiku said.
Listing the qualities they need in the incoming president, Professor Ojukitu said: “our ideal President will not allow the ethnic or religious bigotry and domination by a preferred tribe or religion (born-to-rule), knowing fully well the plight of ethnic and religious minorities across Nigeria.
“Our ideal President must have, over the years, demonstrated a commitment to promoting ethnic and religious inclusivity, tolerance and harmony, going beyond the call of duty to form bridges across ethnic and religious boundaries
“Our ideal President must commit to stopping the systematic bleeding of our economy and the selling of Nigeria to China through infrastructural loans with the inherent programming for Nigeria to default and Chinese to take over, as exemplified by Chinese loan default of some African countries.
“Our ideal candidate for President must be one who has a demonstrated track record of managing a State and or National economy, leaving behind billions of Naira in budgetary surpluses after successfully governing and leaving office.
“Our preferred candidate for President will have no record of the indictment or questionable past by local and or foreign Governments for improprieties while in office.
“Our ideal candidate for President must have demonstrable ability to comprehend extremely complex issues of National and Global Dimensions. He or she must be able to interphase and actively engage with intellectuals from all professional disciplines, and policy experts locally and internationally.”
He, therefore, said “every Nigerian should avoid succumbing to the mere electioneering propaganda and sloganeering of today. We all should do our due diligence of all the Presidential candidates, based on these criteria and come up with our own choice for President, especially for such precarious time as now.
We have examined and found one who is imbued with as many as possible of these qualities.
“His Excellency, the Former Governor of Sokoto State Dr Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa stands shoulder high above many other aspirants, based on the above-stated criteria. We hope the country will give him a good look like the President of Nigeria, come 2019.”
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