2015: Buhari set to declare for presidential race

By Umar Muhammad Puma

Following the round up of his nation-wide consultations, former head of state, General Muhammadu Buhari(rtd) would within the next few days declare for the presidential race, his political aide has disclosed.

Speaking with some journalists in Abuja yesterday, one of Buhari’s aide, who does not want his name in print disclosed that as soon as the on-going consultations are over, the former head of state would throw his hat into the ring.

“General Muhammadu Buhari has been making consultations with stakeholders, cutting across all the divides over next year’s general elections. Those he has been meeting with include politicians, both within and outside the APC, religious leaders, opinion leaders, youths and market women in every state of the Federation and the feelers we are getting are encouraging.

“We are rounding up with the consultations and within the next few days, General Buhari would publicly declare for the race and it is our hope that he would not only emerge the presidential candidate of APC but would eventually be elected come February 2015.”

When reminded of some bigwigs of the party like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Governor Musa Kwankwaso among others, who stand on his way, the source dismissed it with a wave of hands.

“If General Buhari declares today, that is where our people would go. Who else would run against him in the North? Who else do you think the party would prefer to a man who single-handedly secured more than 11 million votes despite the rigging machinery of PDP in 2011? General Buhari is the president in waiting; that is the truth.”, the aide further stated.

Reacting to the modified open ballot system adopted to decide the presidential candidate of the party, our source, a member of the National Working Committee of APC said it is a welcome development.

“We are all in support of the method but it has not been finanlised yet. If you look at it very well, it would allow every aspirant to campaign as if it were the real general election. It is a system that involved all party members. And let me tell you, whatever method of voting that is adopted, General Buhari would emerge the presidential candidate of our party.”

This will be fourth time the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is contesting for the presidency since 2003 when he ran against the then President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo under the platform of the All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP).

Buhari also contested in 2007 and in 2011 against the late President Umaru Yar Adua and President Goodluck Jonathan respectively but lost in the three elections.

With the merger of the leading opposition parties that gave birth to APC, Buhari camp strongly believes that if he could get 11 Million votes when he ran under the platform of one of the parties that merged, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), then winning the next year poll is a forgone conclusion.