North-west reps: Nigerians can’t afford to lose Buhari in 2019

House of representatives members from the north-west geo-political zone believe President Muhammadu Buhari should stay in office beyond 2019.

Speaking to journalists after a caucus meeting late Wednesday, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, leader of the group, said Buhari had achieved a lot, particularly in the area of security.

The lawmakers also passed a vote of confidence on the Buhari administration and the leadership of Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the lower chamber of the national assembly.

“2019 will come and we will engage all stakeholders and Nigerians cannot afford to miss or lose the President Buhari in 2019,” Ado-Doguwa said.

“I want to believe that the security situation in the north-west has improved seriously and Nigerians are commending the president and we just have to commend him, support him and identify with him.

“We have also individually and collectively passed a vote of confidence in the leadership of President Buhari’s government and also the leadership of the house of representatives ably led by Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara.

“We are speaking on behalf of the north-west people. I think as far as we are concerned; it does not matter what the people say; we want to say openly that Mr. President has done a lot in the area of security.

“In spite of the challenges, our people in the zone can sleep with their eyes closed and Nigerians are commending him. We have to commend him and we must support him.”

He also said the north-west zone was not properly captured in 2017 budget proposal.

“We looked at interventions in the budget and discovered that we have been under represented in the project allocation in the power sector and in education,” the legislator said.

“Also, the area of zonal interventions; we have concerns about it and we have agreed that as soon as the budget is committed to the committees, all members of the zone should be on the lookout and be vigilant.”

Ado-Doguwa advised the federal government to come up with a plan to end killings in Kaduna and the zone at large.