By Abusidiqu Blog
Former Military Head of State and Presidential Aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday made a bold move to woo the support of the Igbo race and South East when he held a closed door meeting with Chief Chukwuma Azikiwe, eldest son of the Nigeria’s former President, late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.
The meeting which took place at the residence of the Azikiwe’s in Onitsha, Anambra State and lasted over 30 minutes is coming shortly before another one scheduled with the Owelle of Onitsha, all in a bid to get the Igbos to support the presidential aspiration of Buhari.
The former Head of State was accompanied on the visit by a former Governor of the state, Senator Chris Ngige; former president of the Nigerian Bar Association and governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ondo State, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN; leaders of APC in Anambra State among others.
Before going for the closed door meeting, Buhari had told Chief Azikiwe that the visit was a routine one which he does whenever he is in the eastern part of the country, adding that his visit to Onitsha was to attend the final burial ceremony of a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Chief Chike Ofordile.
Speaking on his presidential ambition, Buhari told newsmen that he was not in the race for material gains but to sincerely serve the nation by adequately addressing security challenges and dwindling economic fortunes.
“I feel I have greater role to play and luckily for me I cannot be accused of being ambitious for material aspect of it. I was a governor, I was a Minister of Petroleum, I was Head of State but I will like to give Nigerians the opportunity this time around to use ballot box to choose their leadership and I hope the system allows the people to choose whoever they want to lead them and to represent them.
“There are two areas that are obvious to all Nigerians – the collapse of security and the collapse of the economy. Nigeria has to be secured and efficiently managed, I have said that so many times”, he stated.
Buhari welcomed the entrance of the Speaker of House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal into the presidential race under the APC, saying however that the process of picking the standard bearer for the party must “be transparent, let it be honest, that is all we want.”
Addressing APC chieftains at the residence of Chief Azikiwe, the former Head of State stated that the social injustice and corruption under the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan should not be allowed to continue beyond May 2015.
He said the nation would not survive if Jonathan and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) were allowed for another term, stressing that the APC was formed in order to have a formidable opposition that could wrestle power from PDP.
“It is in our interest to stabilise the system. Anything without social justice cannot endure. You have got a serious job to deliver your constituencies. If there is commitment, we can effect the change that we want but if we go home and sleep some terrorists will come and chase you away,” he charged the APC chieftains.
