A former military Head of State, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday became the second presidential aspirant, to pick the expression of interest and nomination form of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Buhari, who paid the required N27.5m in Abuja, was handed the form by the party’s National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun.
This was done after a former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, had handed over a Union Bank cheque of N27.5m on behalf of Buhari to the National Organising Secretary of the party, Senator Osita Izunaso.
Speaking after collecting the form, Buhari said but for the fact that he was a member of the party at its highest level, he would have complained about the high cost of the form.
Buhari said, “It’s a pity I couldn’t influence this amount to be reviewed downward as was done in the case of the ladies. I looked left and right, I couldn’t read sympathy on anybody’s face.
“So, I kept to myself but I felt heavily sorry for myself, because I don’t want to go and ask somebody to pay for my nomination.
“If you recall-even the last ones (elections) I have (contested), -I always try to pay for myself, at least for the nomination form.
“I was about to go to Kaduna for a reason, so I talked to the chairman and he said you better picked your forms and he kept a straight face meaning you have no choice.
“We thank God, we have reached this stage, speculations will now cease.”
Responding, Odigie-Oyegun, who described the retired general as a leader in the party said, “The N27.5m is to separate the men from the boys. It is quite clear, we know you. I don’t expect that you have N27.5m under your belt, but I expected that there are Nigerians who will vouch for you any day and who are ready to stand for you any day.”
He also congratulated the aspirant for selling himself and the party with the way he handled his formal declaration.
The party chairman said, “I want to assure you that if there is consensus among the aspirants, we as a party will welcome it completely. But if there is no consensus, we are going to give you the cleanest, the most transparent primary we are going to let this country see.” – Punch.
