Buhari receives APC nomination form from support group

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has shaded recent defectors from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying that the left the party because they are weak and their selfish expectations did not match the vision of the party.

He spoke after receiving his APC presidential expression of interest and nomination forms from the group that purchased them for him.

The group, which goes by the name, Nigerian Consolidation Ambassadors Network (NCAN), presented the forms to him at the Banquet Hall of the presidential villa, Abuja on Tuesday.

The president accepted the forms and recalled how he had struggled since 2002 to have the opportunity to lead the country again and halt its drift but was denied.

Buhari used the occasion to explain his sojourn in politics.

President Buhari told his guests: “I am honoured today to receive youths from all over the country contributing to buy the form for me. The weakest whose sense of expectation do not align with our vision have exited our party.”

He added, “We now have a party of strong and patriotic people who are ready to work for a strong Nigeria.”

The president took time to explain why he came out of retirement to realize his vision to rescue the country in 2002, adding that the country reached a hopeless state in 2006 and therefore, he decided to contest for the Presidential position in 2007.

He said he was moved by the state of hopeless in the country where selfish interest of elected leaders superceded national interest.

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The president reiterated that the 2007 election in the country was a disgrace.

On the performance of his administration, the president said it is completing rail projects and starting new ones.

He said government has provided support for farmers, including the rehabilitation of fertilizer plants, implementation of the Treasury Single Account, (TSA), which he said has reduced stealing in public service while providing jobs and cash for the most vulnerable Nigerians.

Speaking before the forms presentation, Deputy Chairman of (NCAN), Chuckwuemeka Nwajiuba, said the three million members of the group contributed as little as N68 to purchase the form after a triple-A assessment of the performance of President Buhari.

He said Buhari’s commitment to the fight against corruption, the fight against terrorism and the rejuvenation of the economy were some of the reasons that convinced the group to pay for the expression of interest and the nomination forms for him.

He said: “Nigerians for the first time in many years could see a leader who painstakingly took decisions solely on the bases of national interest, above his or anyone else’s. A leader who belongs to all and behoving to our country and to God only, who in His infinite mercy brought our president back from the brink of death and restored him to strength and vigour.

“These Ambassadors whose network seeks to consolidate these gains and ingrain this focus, then decided to contribute their intellect, and little earnings towards ensuring that our president is encouraged to continue this service, being as is now apparent the real beneficiaries of all the toil and tenacity of purpose that now radiates from this leader, in spite of the hue and cry from a vociferous few whose stranglehold on our commonwealth has become somewhat dislodged.

“It is on account of the resolve of these ambassadors that they proceeded to obtain the nomination form for the president from the All Progressives Congress, to encourage Mr President to seek to be re-elected for another term to help consolidate the work he is doing.

“As those who have championed Buhari…ship (Sincerity to one another, Honesty in all dealings, Integrity in all conduct and Performance in all service), from the onset in late 2002, through daunting travails and to this point where we all press for the consolidation of its gains. This trust is solemn and we will continue to keep it.”

The Director-General of the Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Organization, Rotimi Amaechi, assured the Buhari is as fit as a fiddle and is ready to contest the 2019 election.

Present during the short ceremony were Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, among others.