From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday said that he was happy that he regained the chance of continuing with the fight against corruption, having lost such opportunity as the military Head of State about 34 years ago.
Buhari recalled that he sent many corrupt politicians to jail and confiscated looted government money and returned such money to national coffer.
While addressing thousands of his supporters at Ahmadu Bello Stadium, venue of APC presidential campaign rally, the president said those who overthrew him at that time denied him the opportunity to stamp corruption out of the country.
He however, vowed to continue with the war against graft if re-elected on February 16 presidential election.
The president, who spoke in Hausa, promised that he will not betray the trust of the people and will do everything to protect the people from being exploited.
He said: “property and companies seized from corrupt politicians are to be sold and money ploughed into the national treasury because I do not want people that will come after me to return such seized property to their owners as they did after I was overthrown in a military coup in 1985”.
President Buhari said he has fulfilled all his campaign promises and urged the people to vote for him again in order to consolidate on the gains so far achieved.
According to the president, he has fulfilled his promise of fighting corruption, ensuring security as Boko Haram has been decimated and promised to do more if voted into power.
Kaduna State governor, Nasir El Rufai who was at the rally with his three wives accused the candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar of going to America to take instructions from President Donald Trump and urged the people to reject him at the polls.
In his remarks, El Rufai enjoined the people of the state to reject the PDP, as it has nothing to offer.
“He has gone to America to reassure his masters that they should not worry, he will hand over the country to them. He has gone to report to those who control him”. El-Rufai said.
Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole said the people of Kaduna State should reject the PDP because “Atiku supervised” the closure of textile industries in the state.
In a related development, President Buhari told the leadership of the Coalition of Progressive Political Parties, which visited him at State House, Abuja yesterday that “I respect your consistency, firmness, integrity and steadfastness.” The coalition had endorsed the candidacy of President Buhari for next month’s election, just as it also did before the 2015 poll, making a delighted President to declare: “I am happy with your decision to continue to support us. I respect your consistency from 2015 to date. Your belief in one Nigeria is admirable. This visit has raised my morale; you support us quietly, without noise, and it encourages us to press on.”
A press statement by Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), Femi Adesina, emphasised that, the leader of the coalition group, Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim, said the endorsement of President Buhari for a second term in office was due to the many successes of the administration, including strides in the fight against insurgency, efforts to redress the country’s huge infrastructural deficit; and the yeoman’s fight against corruption, among others.
He pledged that the coalition would campaign for President Buhari round the country, confront fake news with facts and figures, adding that a formal declaration of their support would be made soon.
Members of Coalition of Progressive Political Parties include: Advanced Allied Party; Africa Peoples Alliance; Freedom & Justice Party; KOWA Party; New Progressive Movement; Peoples Democratic Movement; Accord Party; Sustainable National Party; New Nigeria Peoples Party; Unity Party of Nigeria; United Progressive Party; National Democratic Liberty Party; Nigeria Elements Progressive Party; and Yes Electoral Party.