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‘I have delivered on campaign promises, you won’t regret voting APC in 2019’

By Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Abuja
29 December 2018   |   3:14 am
President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, said he has delivered on his campaign promises in spite of doubts by the opposition. Buhari stated this in Uyo at the flag-off of the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential campaign in the South-South geo-political zone. According to him, Nigerians would not regret voting for APC candidates in next year’s general…

[FILE PHOTO] Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, said he has delivered on his campaign promises in spite of doubts by the opposition.

Buhari stated this in Uyo at the flag-off of the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential campaign in the South-South geo-political zone.

According to him, Nigerians would not regret voting for APC candidates in next year’s general elections, saying he had specifically delivered in the area of security, economy and fight against corruption, in line with his promise to Nigerians.

The President said although the menace of Boko Haram remained a challenge in some parts of the country, the insecurity posed by the group would eventually be eradicated.

While acknowledging that unemployment remained a challenge in Nigeria, he said his administration was working to tackle the problem, just as it had ensured food security and encouraged Nigerian farmers to achieve food security.

Buhari said his administration would continue to fight corruption, if voted into office for a second term next year, adding: “We are arresting corrupt people and prosecuting them and we will not stop. I assure you that we have collected property and collected cash.

“We have put the money into the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and all are going into government account, which can be traced and accounted for.

“Nigerians will be informed from time to time how much we recovered and from who and how we are going to use it to develop the country.”

He said APC’s campaign was based on three fundamental issues of enhancing the economy, ensuring security and fighting corruption, noting that Boko Haram had no stronghold in any local government area in Nigeria at the moment.

The President assured Nigerians that Boko Haram would be “a thing of the past” if he is re-elected.

But the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Presidency and APC of secretly drawing over N478 million from the coffers of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to rent a crowd and offset bills in the President’s expensive re-election campaign rally held in Uyo, the Akwa-Ibom State capital, yesterday.

The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, also accused the President of directly appointing serving ministers and heads of government agencies as members of his campaign council, so as to continue to use them as conduit pipes for the diversion of public funds to finance his campaign.

The statement added: “Our party is also aware of the protests by some eminent Nigerians, including foremost businessmen, who were named as members of the APC Campaign Council without their consent, in a desperate bid to showcase an impression that they are supporting Mr. President’s re-election bid.

“The N478 million NDDC funds, which was originally budgeted for development projects in the Niger Delta, was diverted to renting and transportation of crowd from other parts of the country to the rally to create an impression of popularity for Buhari in the region.”

The PDP also said information at its disposal showed that the said N478 million was part of the wholesome sum of N1.2 billion allegedly siphoned in tranches from the NDDC treasury by the cabal at the Presidency and APC leaders, who, it alleged, have been stealing money from various government agencies to finance the President’s campaign.

“Our party also has it on good authority that this ignoble scheme of siphoning NDDC development funds to finance his campaign was the main reason Buhari foisted an unpopular leadership at the management of the NDDC, despite the protests by critical stakeholders in all the states of the Niger Delta.”

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