2015: Buhari’s loyalists rally in Lagos, say he’s best for Nigeria

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

The Buhari Vanguard, a pro-Buhari group, held a rally in Lagos, Saturday, urging Nigerians to support Muhammadu Buhari for President.

The road show, which began near the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) secretariat, in Yaba, moved across the city and ended at the state secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), at Ikeja.

 “This is a road show and a rally and the theme is ‘Nigeria need Muhammadu Buhari,’ said Jasper Azuatalam, the Chairman of Buhari Vanguard.

“We have seen it since 1999. After 1999, when General Buhari saw what was happening in Nigeria, he entered into politics. In 1999 you can remember General Buhari never said a thing about politics, but because those that came to do it did not do it he decided to enter politics.

“We know he is the only one that can end corruption in Nigeria; the only one that can make a promise and keep it. He has no oil well. This is the right time. Now that APC has come. It’s a party with political structure. And with APC, General Buhari will coast to victory,” Mr. Azuatalam added.

The road show moved across Lagos in a convoy of vehicles beckoning on people to embrace change in the next elections; and chanting ‘No more bad luck o.’ ‘No more there is God o, ‘No more we go die if we dey find job o, ‘No more darkness o, No more Boko Haram o.’

Another speaker at the rally said that there will be “zero corruption” if Mr. Buhari becomes president.

“He has done it before. You can see the rate of corruption in the system now. And the corruption causes Boko Haram, the corruption causes unemployment, indiscipline,” he said.

“This is a fellow that when he was Head of State there was nothing like corruption. He’s the only one that can give us zero corruption. Don’t let us deceive ourselves. It is so glaring now, if Buhari comes in now, corruption will be zero; development will be there.”

The organizers insisted that the rally was not a campaign ahead of the 2015 presidential poll.

“TAN (Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria) is going around telling people to vote for Goodluck Jonathan because Goodluck Jonathan is the presidential candidate of PDP,” said Mr. Azuatalam.

“In APC, we have no presidential candidate. We have respected gentlemen, like Atiku Abubakar, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, Rotimi Amaechi, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Bola Tinubu and others. We have not chosen our presidential candidate.

Mr. Azuatalam also denied that they were being sponsored by Mr. Buhari to hold the rally.

“We have no sponsor. I am the chairman of Buhari Vanguard; it’s a pro-Buhari group. It’s not being sponsored by Buhari,” he said. “It is a group of people who have come together and say they want Buhari.