2015: Buhari Explains Why He Runs For Presidency Again

Muhammadu Buhari explained on Tuesday why he decided to run again for presidency in 2015.

The former Head of State already announced that he would officially declare on October 8, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and was criticized by many over refusal to let a younger party aspirant emerge as candidate for the upcoming 2015.

According to Premium Times, Buhari’s decision to run was reasoned by the fact that the administrations led by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been “purposeless” since 1999.
Speaking in Abuja, as scheduled before, with more than 60 different groups urging him to run for the presidency, the former leader criticized the ruling party and pointed out it was important for him to step out in order to save the situation. He urged Nigerians to vote out the PDP to initiate the change.
“Today, we are in the 15th year of purposeless leadership by the PDP and all we have seen is unprecedented deterioration in the security and law and order situation, astronomical rise in the incidence and intensity of corruption, and in the failure of governance.

“And as we reach this last lap of the journey, I would like to request that we concentrate all our effort and energy toward realising and achieving change in how this country is run. The only way to meaningful change in this country is to vote the PDP out of power to which it was never legitimately elected, anyway. The task before us today is wide ranging and very great. The first and most important is to take away power from those who have been misusing it.”
Buhari, acted as Nigeria’s head of state from 1983 to 1985 and run for presidency thrice, losing all the times to the PDP candidates.
In his speech the 71-year-old official urged the groups to support the APC in general and be respectful to any aspirant.

“I will like to point out to you that, to be more meaningful, your support must extend beyond my person and always be available to the party and all those the party puts forward; because it is the party that is the platform.”
Speaking about the primaries, Buhari again put the focus on the party and not on an individual.
“If I get the party nomination, I expect you will redouble your effort and commitment until we clinch the presidency. But in the event that it happens to be one of the other aspirants who wins, I will expect you as good party men to extend to him your total support. We are a united party, and united we shall remain, because our strength lies in our unity.”
According to NAN, Buhari also strongly recommended all the party supporters not to engage into insulting any other aspirant or party leader on his behalf saying it could cause internal division.
“I must warn all my supporters, volunteers and other well-wishers within the party or even out of it, not to insult or be rude to any other aspirant or party leader on my behalf. My supporters must not engage in any kind of behaviour or conduct that will tarnish the image of any leader or promote division and rancour within the ranks of the party.”