The future of Nigeria is the main motivation behind his latest presidential bid, Muhammadu Buhari has told TheCable.
In the first part of the interview published on Saturday, the retired major-general had explained his decision to seek office again having promised that after his third attempt in 2011, he would no longer present himself for election.
He said since he did not quit partisan politics altogether, his supporters insisted that for as long as he remained a politician, he must contest as he longer belonged to himself alone.
Buhari, who is seeking the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has further explained his motive ─ and regrets that people are now using his age against him.
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He said: “What I am doing is for the future of this country. I said this 30 years ago and nobody wrote the speech for me: ‘We have no other country but Nigeria. We have to remain here and salvage it together.’
“I recently heard the interesting story of a man who relocated to the US. His children have now come of age and they have told him they want to come to Nigeria. You can be a nuclear physicist, go to Europe or America to get your dollar worth, but sooner or later, your children will start saying, Daddy, when are we going home? Is it not better then to make sure the system is working and conducive for all?
“I have an objective ─ I want to secure and effectively manage this country. I want to offer leadership to this country. This is my objective. Nigeria has been endowed by God with material and human resources. That is why I blame the elite for the state of this country. The elite have failed to organise themselves to realise this God-given favour to Nigeria.”
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Buhari said a feasibility study was done on solid minerals when Olusegun Obasanjo was president and wondered why no action has been taken since then.
“There is no part of this country that does not have solid minerals. All the states of the federation! Gold, uranium, name it. The feasibility report is there in the archive, waiting for a serious government to revisit it and go into action with the latest technology. We are too focused on petroleum. Solid minerals will generate employment and take millions of youths out of the labour market.
“The elite must come together to develop this country. Nigerians don’t have to go abroad with their degrees and end up washing plates and toilets in hotels,” he told TheCable.
Asked what wrong impression about him he would like to correct if he had the chance, he responded: “People are talking about my age. It is now as if my age is a disadvantage for my presidential ambition. I would like to perform well in office so that people will know what I am about.
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“There is nothing Nigerian politicians want to do now that I have not done before. I was governor of a state that is today six states. I was petroleum minister for three and a quarter years. I signed contracts for refinery projects, depot projects that were executed. The contracts I signed are worth billions of naira in today’s currency.
“Then I became head of state. And I became chairman of PTF when [General Sani] Abacha saw that I could be useful. There was a time when PTF had more than N53 billion in the banking system. And nobody has successfully accused me of abusing trust.”
Buhari promised to support whoever picks APC’s presidential ticket if he does not get it.
WATCH OUT: In the last part of the interview, Buhari speaks on the overthrow of Shehu Shagari kn 1983, the Babangida palace coup of 1985 and the Umaru Dikko kidnap saga.
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8 comments
Why this constant rehash of your 1984 coup speech. Nigeria has moved on from you and your jackboot cohorts. We cannot develop Nigeria by selling solid minerals like we did not by selling the liquid mineral, crude oil.
Alhaji Buhari, we need to educate and empower our people to add value to our human and material resources, something you and your fellow Born To Rule jackboot enforcers could not do , even to your fellow Northern fanatical followers of your agenda. Goodluck Jonathan, your current nemesis , has built more schools for the disadvataged in Northern Nigeria than your fellow travelers did in your decades focussed on the despoliation of Nigeria. You cannot sell us the same old wine , packaged in a new wine bottle. Go home to Katsina and leave Nigeria alone. We don’t need the sponsors of the Islamic State in Nigeria and West Africa aka Boko Haram ,to lead us to a sure death as a nation.
Thanks JoeBoy for your submission. You’ve said it all. But i must add this. This is not about Buhari anymore. It is about Nigeria and the future of the next generation. We no longer need or want the likes of Buhari in our polity again. We’ve rejected him severaly but he keeps coming back. We’ll continue to reject him. The damage he and his coauthors inflicted on Nigeria for many decades of mediocre military dictatorships will remain in the Nigerian dark history books forever.
Let APC look for a credible candidate, otherwise this presidential election is over before the campaign even start.
This is the man Nigeria should try. I so much believe in him. Don’t ask me why.
@OmoOba. Your choice is well respected. Thanks goodness we are now a democracy. I don’t have anything against this man as a person. His past record as a dictator should bring into question his moral and civil rights to be elected for any elective office. This man violated a Nigerian constituted authority and imposed draconian decrees that denied Nigerians basic rights to free speech and association. His actions are partly contributive to the mess we are in today. I’m sick and tired of talks about his war on indiscipline and corruption. What were his economic policies as a dictator?
We want new generation of Nigerian patriots.
Let this man step aside for God’s sake. We will continue to reject him.
In politics, people want the one that favour them most even as I will prefer my own to be there. Let’s remember, it’s God that chooses people into positions of authority as the word said ” it is not of him that runneth or willeth but of Him that showeth mercy. So watch your comment.
Based on whats on ground, Buhari is the best aspirant I can think of considering his past even in his millitary time. I am a realist not a sentimentalist. oh, I am also a yoruba man n to d core.
Buhari gagged the press, Babangida allowed press freedom and Dele Giwa became history.
Nduka Irabor was jailed by Buhari, he announced the annulment of June 12 under Babangida.
After over 30 years, is Jonathan and Obasanjo still not attacking the press and violating their rights? Leadership & ThisDay correspondents comes to mind.
Honearly the present crop of campaigners are more concerned about the ethnic disposition of candidates. It is most unfortunate that this time youths anchor their preference on ethnicism and religion. The south easterners and south southerners would just align with Jonathan no matter his achievements. Have we cared to look and audit the performance of the present government? Couldn’t anybody else from PDP do a better job? And to my northern brothers, salvation of the country must not come from within the northern stock. Insisting on that is a grand disrespect to other Nigerians.
All I can see is that we will not be able to a elect a competent leadership due to myopism anchored on ethnic and religion. Na my brother, so I must support am…..this is utter rubbish.
The country might not be liberated if the youths are not liberated.
The political scenarios are gradually playing out. The south westerners are likely to be the long makers.
Thank you for reading.
All I crave is strong leadership of the country, that Will bring about human and I infrastructural development. The one that Will upgrade the value of Nigerians and Nigeria within and iinter8nationally. Improve security etc. I do not care about the colour, religion, ethnic leaning or political party affiliations of any candidate