All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday met with the former president at his hilltop mansion in Abeokuta, where he reiterated his determination to revive Nigeria’s economy, improve the deteriorating security in the country and fight corruption.
Obasanjo told Buhari who was accompanied by his running mate, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, the party’s national chairman, Dr John Odigie-Oyegun, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Chief Barnabas Gemade, Chief Audu Ogbe, Senator Bukola Saraki, Chief Bisi Akande among others, that he, as a mark of respect, asked his boys to cancel any engagement he had outside Ogun State yesterday in anticipation of Buhari’s visit even though Buhari did not inform him he was coming.
The APC train stormed Obasanjo’s mansion by 11:25 am to inform the ex-president of the APC’s road map for tackling the country’s crippling challenges as well as seek his “support, trust and understanding” that their in-coming government at the centre, would give the country “better” and “quality” leadership.
Buhari told the former president that they came to consult him because he (Obasanjo) knows Nigeria’s problems better than all of them, in spite of the fact that Obasanjo had told him he remained a PDP member.
“Sir, it’s a fact that you know more than we all know about the problem that we are in. But we’ll try to convince you to believe us that we are going to do better.”
“We expect your understanding and support, although you insist on remaining in PDP. I have reached a certain degree of frustration in my attempt for you to try to shift a bit but you have refused.”
“Briefly, we have been going around three fundamental issues: security, economy, corruption. This vicious circle is what the APC is determined to break.”
“Because without security, there is no way the country can settle down not to talk of living in it. So many people, educated and uneducated, some said up to 60 per cent, will say Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gun powder.”
“And then corruption; we believe that if we are able to stop corruption, a lot of resources will be available to invest in infrastructure, get the factories to reopen, get jobs, and get goods and services.”
“So, we are talking about the economy in terms of employment, production, manufacturing, goods and services, and then agriculture will again give impetus to employment,” Buhari said.
The APC presidential candidate lamented that Nigeria abandoned agriculture, our mainstay before the discovery of oil, and regretted the neglect.
“We have to be systematic and work to make sure that the vast land we have is cultivated not only to produce food, but also to produce raw materials for agro-allied industries, which used to be very viable but which we allowed to die because everybody has concentrated on getting oil money.”
“Now the oil money is dwindling rapidly; I think we better come back to our senses,” he said.
He dismissed the insinuation in some quarters that he is too rigid, saying he is a dynamic person.
“Sir, briefly, this is what we intend to do and this is contained in our manifesto. We are not going to be inflexible the way some people accused us of doing.”
“We are going to be dynamic as we go along and that’s why I said we are here to seek your understanding, your support, in spite of the political card you hold.” (Leadership)
Obasanjo told Buhari who was accompanied by his running mate, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, the party’s national chairman, Dr John Odigie-Oyegun, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Chief Barnabas Gemade, Chief Audu Ogbe, Senator Bukola Saraki, Chief Bisi Akande among others, that he, as a mark of respect, asked his boys to cancel any engagement he had outside Ogun State yesterday in anticipation of Buhari’s visit even though Buhari did not inform him he was coming.
The APC train stormed Obasanjo’s mansion by 11:25 am to inform the ex-president of the APC’s road map for tackling the country’s crippling challenges as well as seek his “support, trust and understanding” that their in-coming government at the centre, would give the country “better” and “quality” leadership.
Buhari told the former president that they came to consult him because he (Obasanjo) knows Nigeria’s problems better than all of them, in spite of the fact that Obasanjo had told him he remained a PDP member.
“Sir, it’s a fact that you know more than we all know about the problem that we are in. But we’ll try to convince you to believe us that we are going to do better.”
“We expect your understanding and support, although you insist on remaining in PDP. I have reached a certain degree of frustration in my attempt for you to try to shift a bit but you have refused.”
“Briefly, we have been going around three fundamental issues: security, economy, corruption. This vicious circle is what the APC is determined to break.”
“Because without security, there is no way the country can settle down not to talk of living in it. So many people, educated and uneducated, some said up to 60 per cent, will say Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gun powder.”
“And then corruption; we believe that if we are able to stop corruption, a lot of resources will be available to invest in infrastructure, get the factories to reopen, get jobs, and get goods and services.”
“So, we are talking about the economy in terms of employment, production, manufacturing, goods and services, and then agriculture will again give impetus to employment,” Buhari said.
The APC presidential candidate lamented that Nigeria abandoned agriculture, our mainstay before the discovery of oil, and regretted the neglect.
“We have to be systematic and work to make sure that the vast land we have is cultivated not only to produce food, but also to produce raw materials for agro-allied industries, which used to be very viable but which we allowed to die because everybody has concentrated on getting oil money.”
“Now the oil money is dwindling rapidly; I think we better come back to our senses,” he said.
He dismissed the insinuation in some quarters that he is too rigid, saying he is a dynamic person.
“Sir, briefly, this is what we intend to do and this is contained in our manifesto. We are not going to be inflexible the way some people accused us of doing.”
“We are going to be dynamic as we go along and that’s why I said we are here to seek your understanding, your support, in spite of the political card you hold.” (Leadership)
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