Nigerians demand credible, free elections and the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan must respect that wishes.
This was the view of the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj, General Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), which he made known while addressing Eze Ndigbo of the 19 northern states and Abuja at his campaign office, in Abuja, on Friday.
According to the APC Presidential candidate, ordinary folks did not leave him alone to enjoy his exit from power after he was released from detention even when they knew he was not rich.
“I was sitting at home after leaving detention; I thought people will leave me alone because they know I am not rich. I don’t even own a filling station not to talk of oil blocks.
“So, I thought I lost their sympathy but people kept on coming to me; there was nothing I could do. And then I speculated that maybe if I join partisan politics, I will get into a position to be heard,” he said.
He, however, said democracy, as the best form of government, will only make meaningful impact when the government respects the rights of citizens to elect those who govern them.
The APC candidate added that there was an element of rebellion in every human being, making it imperative for a credible process to be put in place to allow people exercise their franchise.
This, he believed, would guarantee peace.
Buhari said, “Let the government respect Nigerians as individuals, allow them to choose those they want to represent them and to lead them and Nigerians will be surprised to see how peaceful this country is going to be.
“I think in a part of every human being, there is an element of rebellion. If you try to force a human being to do what he doesn’t like, he will develop a way of resisting it but if you develop a system, you persuade him to accept the system, then justice must be done and you will be surprised house peacefully you will live; but if you try to force it, I am afraid, you will keep on suffering.”
He said the last 16 years of Peoples Democratic Party rule had been a disaster as public institutions had virtually collapsed with the business community the worst hit in recent times.
“Where were we 16 years ago when PDP took over this country? And where are we now? How much was the Naira then and how much is it now? The Naira now is about N230 to 1 US dollar and I think as a community, you are hit the most in Nigeria than anybody else.
“You are those that go out from Singapore to China, all over the world. You order things, you don’t order them in Naira; you order them in Dollars or pounds sterling or yen. Now you need trailers of Naira to maintain your business,” the APC candidate said.
