Buhari Returns Presidential Form, Calls for Unity

 

Muhammadu Buhari
 

• Party sets up governorship screening committees

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Former Head of State and one of the presidential aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), tuesday returned his nomination form with a pledge to  continue to work for a united  Nigeria.

Buhari, who came to the APC national secretariat with just a few of his campaign officials, thanked the party leadership for their efforts at forging  a united front  ahead of the 2015 elections.

Speaking on the recent fracas at the National Assembly, Buhari slammed the security agents for over-reaching their constitutional powers by locking down the legislative chambers.

“ It is a distressing situation where those who are supposed to protect the constitution are the ones undermining it. That place-House of Representative and Senate-sacred place they shouldn’t go there as members of law enforcement agencies much less fire teargas and harassing them, they are brreaking down and undermining the constitution and if they are doing that who is going to correct it? “ He said.

The National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, described Buhari as one Nigerian who has show great passion to bring about change in the affairs in the country.

“We are glad that you are one of those Nigerians who have offered themselves on the platform of the APC with the vision and passion for change and the time has come when business has to be transacted differently in this country. Genuine concern for the people of this nation should become the number one priority of any government in this nation.

“If the good Lord had chosen you to be the leader of this nation or any other aspirant for that matter, it is my prayer that one of you in the APC win the presidency,” he said.

Meanwhile, APC leadership yesterday inaugurated six zonal screening committees made up of five members each to undertake the screening of the party’s governorship aspirants ahead of the 2015 general election.

The six committees and their chairmen are North-central - Chief Olagunsoye Onyinlola, North-east -Senator Chris Ngige, North-west - Malam Bolaji Abdulahi, South-east Timipre Silva, South-south, Alhaji Tijani Gwazo and  South –west, Senator Danjuma Goje.
The screening panels are to resume work by Wednesday..

Speaking while inaugurating the six zonal screening committees,  Oyegun said the critical nature of the assignment of the committee had been made even more manifest with the events that have been occurring in the last one week. He said the committees are made up of quality men whose words are taken seriously.

He said the assignment of the committee’s was coming in critical times and as such they should be transparent and above board.
The APC leader said the public was looking up to them to show that APC is the agent of change and whether the party would be truly  the agent of change for country.

According to Oyegun, the peoples’s anxiety  had become heightened because of the insane things that have been happening recently.
“Why should security agencies invade a National Assembly which was convened at the request of the presidency and in which there is only three days  that are critical to the approval of extension of the stage of emergency in the three trouble states?

Oyegun commended the legislators for subjecting themselves to the integrity of climbing the fence, adding that were it not for such courage exhibited by the lawmakers, may be something more biizarre  things would have happened.

He said the storming of the APC office in Kagos only disrupted the compilation of membership register of the party.
Oyegun added that the reasons given by the State Security Service (SSS) “cannot just fly. You cannot but begin to wonder what is going on in this country.”

He charged the committees to ensure that aspirants are friendly and accommodating in the campaign and to also ensure that they are all properly documented to avoid disqualification during or after election.

While responding on behalf of other committees, Oyinlola said they would work diligently to deliver a good job, adding that the committee would do a thorough job that would make Nigerians see the difference between APC and other parties.

Also, the Chairman of the committee in charge of the North-east, Senator Chris Ngige, said  the  party considered the governorship seat as the second highest position in the land and as such, the committees would try to  as much as possible to  insist on a transparent exercise.

He said the North-east committee which he heads was considering  using Abuja as centre  to screen the aspirants from the zone.
According to him, there are 21 governorship aspirants for the APC ticket in the six states of Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, Yobe, Bauchi  and Gombe. 

Borno has  only the incumbent governor who will be seeking re-election for a second term.