I’ll Overhaul Electoral Process – Buhari

President-elect Muhammadu Buhari has declared that he will overhaul the electoral management body as well as reposition the electoral process to make elections more credible in Nigeria. Buhari also hinted that he would reposition the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), to bring more professionalism, objectivity and integrity to their operations.

Buhari made these comments yesterday in Abuja at the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council office while receiving a delegation from Taraba State All Progressives Congress (APC) who were in Abuja to congratulate him on his victory at the recent poll.

“I think that 2015 will go down in Nigeria political history as a glorious year. Nigerians have deliberately understood what multi-party democracy is. But we thank God for technology, for the PVC and the card reader. If not this luck we had with technology and the insistence of constituencies to make sure they were used (we would not have won). In two political zones where they were subverted, the people wanted to vote, but they were not allowed to vote.

“They continued with what they used to do in their party offices or their sitting rooms: write the results, go to radio house and television house and announce the result and say whoever does not want the result should go to court. How many people can go to court when they are struggling to get the next day’s meal? Where will they get the millions to give to those Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs).

“I was able to do it because of the goodwill of Nigeria, which again demonstrated itself this year. People agreed that I am not a very rich man, but I was lucky that Nigerians believe in me and they put their strength together, voted and made sure that their votes counted. I say thanks to the technology.”

Buhari advised his visitors to always support those they feel would work for their state and for the country just as he assured them that his incoming government would work for the people.

“We will never betray the people because they have risked everything. Some even lost their lives for this cause to make sure that APC succeeds and that we have a leadership in place that they trust. It’s what multi-party democracy is all about.

“I will tell you what made me a multi-party democrat. In 1991, after coming out of detention, I was sitting at home and the Soviet Union collapsed. They were the world power fighting the western world. In technology, they were the first to go to space in 1967 and they had more intercontinental war heads than NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation). They had more sophisticated weapons, but something happened. There was confusion and everybody went their way. Today, there’re 18 countries in the former Soviet Union. That was when I believed that multi-party democratic system is a superior form of governance and that is why I joined democracy.”

He noted that the country had made gains in its democratic growth this year, adding that further progress would be made in the coming years.

“We have made a big stride this year and I assure you, God willing, if we survive the next four years, Nigerians will be in a position to confidently raise their head and elect their own representatives and leaders. They will choose those they want as their representatives at the local governments, states and the centre. I will fight for free, fair and credible election because that is why I remained in politics.”

Buhari encouraged the Taraba State APC governorship candidate, Senator Aisha Alhassan, not to give up her political struggle but rather to emulate his resilience towards recovering her mandate.

Senator Allhassan, who led the delegation, appealed to the president- elect to develop the Mambila power plant as well as undertake the construction of roads and bridge across the state. (Leadership)