The response to our campaign is favourable. It is in favour of Buhari, we are impressed by the response of the people to our movement.
Taiwo Oluwadare, Ibadan
Chief Bosede Osunmakinwa, member of the governing council of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State and national women leader, Buhari/Osinbajo Mandate Group (BOMG) speaks on why Nigerians must re-elect President Muhammadu Buhari next year.
Presidential poll: Afenifere endorses Buhari, Osinbajo for 2019
How did this movement come about?
This movement is to ensure that Nigerians are all carried along politically. There are some things people do not understand, especially those not computer literate and not privileged to watch television but only listen to radio. By the time we take our campaign to every house, they will understand what is really going on in the country.
This is our country, we want it to remain united and in peace. We want to increase the voter’s awareness of the progress being made by the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the presidency down to the local government level. We want the to party to clear the 2019 elections in all the six geo-political zones, with President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as the arrowheads.
Why are you insisting on Buhari?
Buhari has genuine plans for this country. He is sincerely honest with us and with himself. Therefore, it is better to team up and support him because he will not let us down. He may be called Baba go-slow, but he is going at a pace we understand, that he will take us to the promised land.
How sincere do you think he is on the unending farmers-Fulani herdsman’s crises?
Nobody is happy with these killings. But why is it that it was when Buhari came to power that these killings intensified? This is the work of detractors. They want us to believe that Buhari is behind the killings. They want us to vote for them using lies.
I really sympathise with the families who lost their loved ones and those kidnapped, but we know it is is a gang-up against Buhari.
What are the attractions of your movement to Buhari and his government?
When Buhari got to power, there was nothing in the treasury. We were hugely indebted. According to the former minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, a higher percentage of what we owe has been paid. That is an achievement, we are talking of the future of our children. Farmers are being encouraged to take loans. We have tradermoni and marketmoni for the traders. We have the N-power for the unemployed, who are being given N30, 000 each monthly. Half bread is better than none. Progress is also being made in the area of security. Our security agents are trying their best in the face of challenges. The government knows the areas in need of improvement.
Why are these tradermoni and marketmoni coming at this election period? Are they not similar to the SURE-P before the 2015 elections?
Trademoni has been in existence three years back. We started it then and told the traders that we would lend them money without taking interest. What is important is that you pay back.
What are your strategies in winning the election for Buhari?
For those who are honest, they should continue to be honest we tell people why we should support Buhari for a second term. We cannot disclose the details of our plans for strategic reasons.
Yes, there is hardship in the country for now. But at the end of every tunnel, there is always light. Very soon, the hardship will be gone. Other countries had the same experience, today, they are enjoying the dividends of democracy. The response to our campaign is favourable. It is in favour of Buhari, we are impressed by the response of the people to our movement.
Buhari met petrol at N87 per litre, he took it to N145. What do you say about that ?
I see it as a part of his achievements. When he came on board, initially there was scarcity. And people were even saying, let us increase the price to N200 so that it would be readily available. He wanted to remove the subsidy. It is through this subsidy that people are stealing our money. Now that the subsidy has been removed, then we are facing the reality.
There was a time we bought for N70 and it was reduced to N65 by the late president Umaru Yar’Adua. If Buhari had not come around, the price would have been N250 per litre, because they are prepared to be embezzling our money.
What is the scope of your movement?
We are working for Buhari and Osinbajo. We are part of APC because we have sympathy for the party. The movement started when we discovered that a lot of things went wrong with the 2015 elections.
The party has its own structure. Most of our voters are independent, they do not belong to any party or group. The movement felt that such large number of independent voters would listen to any movement, individual or personality without bias who approaches them. They will appreciate their efforts and will likely vote for them. That was how we started the movement to support the party structure.
Do you have confidence in INEC, considering what happened in Ekiti and Osun elections?
Yes, what happened was so straight forward. The INEC is good. They performed wonders in those two exercises. This is not their first time. They have been doing it good, and they will continue to do it good. This movement is proud of them.