As a former presidential candidate, why did you decide to support Mr. Buhari for presidency in the coming elections?
Well, the mood of the nation favours a change in our state
of affairs. The average Nigerian, except maybe those who are profiting from the
government, believes that government has not performed. So I have looked at the
political situation, based on my vast experience working with late Chief M.K.O
Abiola, working with Chief Olu Falae, and working for myself and I can see that
the only way to dislodge the PDP is if we all join forces. I’m not a member of
the APC, I’m a member of the National Conscience Party and I never thought a
day would come when I won’t support my own presidential candidate. But the
reality on ground is that we have to face the reality. Continue below...
I now know what it takes to win a presidential election. I
went through it. All the idealism that I had has evaporated. I was one of those
who felt that Nigeria was ready for change in 2011. They would look at the
track records, merits and they could see that I was one of the best candidates
that was available in the country but the truth is that it takes much more than
your personal character, achievement, popularity to win a presidential election
and that is why I’m humble enough to say enough of contesting and let me find
one of the candidates who has the ideals that I had in 2011. Unfortunately, I
can’t find any other person than Buhari. It does not mean Buhari is a saint; it
does not mean Buhari does not have his own faults because he’s human being and we
are all mortals. But if I have to choose between Buhari and Jonathan, I will go
for Buhari.
So you are sure of Mr. Buhari winning the election?
Oh, I have no doubt that General Buhari is set to create an
upset in Nigeria’s political configuration.
Despite the violence-free peace pact signed in Abuja by
President Jonathan, Buhari and others, there are still cases of electoral
violence. Do you see a violence-free election in February?
Oh, we can. What usually happens is that once a particular
candidate is overwhelmingly popular and the mood of change permeates the entire
society, it becomes difficult for people to fight because it becomes oblivious
that one candidate was more popular than the other. That’s what happened in
1993. Nobody fought when Chief Abiola won. People expected that there was going
to be violence, but there was no violence because it was clear that Abiola was
way ahead of Tofa. How will you fight when your own people are supporting your
opponent?
If Buhari wins this election, it is not going to be a close
election because he is going to win by a wide margin. Jonathan’s supporters who
think they can fight now, by that time, it would have dawn on them that even in
their own village, Buhari has supporters and in situations like that who are
you going to fight?
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