Buhari to focus on governance as Tinubu takes charge of presidential campaign

…Says APC in 3 years reversed 16 years downward slide of PDP misrule …PDP won’t have peace till they return all they stole in 16 years -Amaechi President Muhammadu Buhari has assured that despite the commencement of political campaign for his second term bid, he would continue to do his part without making governance or his work suffer. The president said that his co-chairman, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is the national leader of the party, will be fully in-charge and “is going to be on 24-hour vigil.” Buhari said this on Monday during the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. He said, “Even though we have only 40 days, this campaign is going to tax us all, because we intend to touch all corners of our great and vast country.” However, the president said that the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council, Rotimi Amaechi, will have overall responsibility for all aspects of the campaign, including field operations; while the Secretary will be responsible for all administrative and treasury-related activities of the council. He admonished the leadership and members of his party to resist being provoked, remain focused and civil in their campaigns. “Let us engage our citizens on issues and ask for reflection on the comparative difference between 2015 and 2019 on security, economy and corruption and abuse by those entrusted with leadership in Nigeria. “As we embark on the campaign to secure mandate for the next level, I want to acknowledge the sacrifices and contributions of all stakeholders who have endeavored to keep our party united, and our governance successful. “I urge members of this formidable team to always keep their eyes on the ball, which is the success of our party at the polls. “I wish to appeal to all members to be guided by the enduring vision behind the formation and sustenance of our party, which is anchored, on sacrifice and imperative to salvage and stabilize our great and promising nation,” the president added. President Buhari further appealed to all party members, and especially those who are in the campaign council, to unite and cooperate and ensure a smooth operation. He thanked Nigerians for their hard work, long suffering, yet resolutely committed fellow citizens, for the continued investment of their trust in his administration’s commitment and competence to redirect the country and its governance towards sustainable and wholesome development. According to him, a victory for APC is a victory for all well-meaning Nigerians, who are committed to ‘change’ from an inglorious past; where those in positions of public trust willfully took for themselves what belongs to us all; where the security of our citizens was second place to their acquisition of unwholesome wealth; where our economic growth was sacrificed for the fleeting ease of import dependency. The president further noted that his government has in the last 3 years and 6 months reversed the downward slide that the PDP took the nation in its 16 years of misrule. “We have restored the territorial integrity of our nation, thanks to our gallant men and women of our armed forces. We are systematically engaged in all the remaining corridors of insurgency, kidnappings, robberies, herdsmen and farmers clashes. “We have reset our national values: corruption is no longer condoned and is no longer seen as normal for public office holders. The agencies of government are no longer equivocal in dealing with anyone who flouts our laws.” President Buhari said that under the APC-led government, the high and low are receiving jail terms, loots are being recovered, and Nigerians are increasingly displaying the “timeless values of honesty, honour and decency.” He, therefore, congratulated every Nigerian for making these changes possible. “Our economy has become a prudently managed enterprise. Our resources are now working for us, as we ensure the delivery of key national infrastructure, which were left unattended over these past 15 years. The direct impact of our policies on improvements in roads railways, and power supply are evident. There is greater evidence of economic diversification seen in growing local production of agricultural produce and solid minerals. “Our government has succeeded in the last four years in halting national drift, removing the shadow of insecurity and fear dominating our life and reviving our economy from decline to stability and growth. The macroeconomic health of our economy, indicated by several measurable factors such as a stable exchange rate, lower inflation, growing foreign reserves, has been applauded by independent local and international rating agencies. “In addition, the quality of elections since 2015 has continued to improve with declining levels of problems that have defined elections in the past. Free, fair and credible elections are the foundation of political stability and peace in any nation. We have insisted that votes must count and have maintained a policy of non-interference in elections,” the president said. According to him, INEC has so far since 2015, conducted fair and credible elections in 195 constituencies nationwide, which have been attested nationwide to be qualitatively better than previous elections. Buhari further reiterated his commitment to free and fair elections, saying “If there is one legacy I want to leave, it is the enthronement of democracy as a system of government.” He added that for democracy to be enthroned, elections must be free and fair in which citizens have a right to vote for candidates of their choice without intimidation in any form. “I have warned INEC and security agencies to that effect,” the president disclosed. Buhari restated that he will keep insisting that votes must count, assuring that their campaigns will be anchored on their performance in the last four years. “There is no doubt that our party has succeeded in taking Nigeria to a new level of enduring peace, economic growth political stability, justice and progress. This is the new level we are promising Nigerians, the details of which we will take to Nigerians as we embark on our campaigns,” the president stated. Earlier, the Director General of the Campaign, Rotimi Amaechi, said that there is no longer stealing since the ruling party came on board but stressed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not have peace until they returned all the stolen funds in their 16 years misrule. He said: “We are no longer stealing money. PDP stole the money meant to feed Nigerians and until they return it, they will not have peace. “PDP has nothing to say to Nigerians. Our campaign is going to be issues based. We are determined to save Nigerians. “The President said he will fight corruption that is what he is doing. The promised to create employment, improve the economy. We met a tattered economy that if we did nothing Nigeria will be at a mess but today the economy has been growing. “In fixing the economy, we promised infrastructural development. When I took over as minister of transportation, GE approached me and said we have approached different governments for 11 years to allow us take over rail with our own money but nobody agreed, this government agreed. Before March we will sign a formal agreement of concession to a consortium that will take over the entire narrow gauge and run it. :The change that we promised we cannot complete in four years, anybody that says we can do so in four years must be a magician. What we are pleading with Nigerians for is another four years to consolidate on what we have started. “We assure Nigerians that by the end of our next four years it will be different from the kind of 16 years that the PDP brought. “I was in the PDP, the slogan was share the money but here we are not sharing money. And because we are not sharing money they are saying vote buying. Because they ran election with government money, eating, buying cars with government money and nobody cared. This is a government and a party that cares and in another four years when Nigerians see public funds they will work pass. “I appeal to Nigerians don’t give one vote to the PDP, they are hungry, they can’t stand poverty, they can’t stand not touching government money. Where money is given for prayers in Nigeria, I can pray in my church nobody is giving me money to go and pray. “So as a team we must pass this message of the things we have done in government and the result is there for all to see, that is why I personally supervise the rail project in my ministry because we want to take a ride before the elections. “So we must pass that message that we are not only talking about corruption but we are talking about what we have done that is different from PDP. What makes us different from the PDP is that we are not stealing public funds and the moment you pass this message one, we will win the elections.” Mathew Dadiya, Abuja