We’re seeking reelection, not third term-Buhari

By Ese Awhotu
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday lambasted his political
opponents who sought for more terms in office contrary to the
provisions of the Constitution.
The President stated this while addressing the Ondo State Council of
Obas in Akure.
According to him, he is only seeking to be President for another four
years and after then, nothing more.
“We have just finished one term and are seeking a second one, and
after that, the Constitution doesn’t permit anymore,’ he was quoted as
saying in a tweet by Mr Tolu Ogunlesi who oversees digital
communication for the Presidency.
“There are some who tried looking for more but they did not succeed.”
President Buhari, thereafter, advised the members and leaders of the
All Progressives Party (APC) to learn from the mistakes of those
people.
Recall that former President Olusegun Obasanjo sought to change the
country’s constitution so that he could run a third time for the
presidency in 2007.
While Obasanjo has always denied that was his intention. In any event,
the effort to change the constitution generated widespread opposition,
and eventually was defeated in the National Assembly.
Following the failure of his third term bid, Obasanjo thereafter
supported his then party’s(Peoples Democratic Party) successful
candidate, Umaru Yar’Adua, for the presidency. Since he left office,
former present Obasanjo has remained active politically, though his
influence has declined.
Obasanjo who gave his support to Buhari in 2015, has recently turned
against him, accusing the President of returning Nigeria to an era of
impunity.
Obasanjo had in a statement said that President Buhari has returned
the nation to the era when state institutions were used to fight the
perceived enemies of the government.
Obasanjo alleged that the President was putting into practice, the
lessons he allegedly learned from late General Sani Abacha.
“Today, another Abacha Era is here. The security institutions are
being misused to fight all critics and opponents of Buhari and to
derail our fledgeling democracy,” he claimed.
However, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC),
Adams Oshiomhole has said that former President was a worse dictator
than General Sani Abacha.
Oshiomhole made this assertion in a reaction to Obasanjo’s accusation
against Buhari.
Speaking in an Exclusive Interview with Channels TV’s Seun Okinbaloyo,
Oshiomhole disagreed that the country is drifting into a dictatorial
state.
“Obasanjo can’t look me in the eyes and say those things, he is a
worse dictator, he was worse than Abacha,” Oshiomhole said.
Speaking on the general state of the nation, Oshiomhole said Obasanjo
ruled for eight years and could not fix Nigeria, and “we are saying
Buhari should fix Nigeria in three and half years”.
He further argued that “Nigeria’s democracy cannot be stable if the
rules are only made for the poor”.