Presidency: I’ am not desperate to be APC’s candidate-- Buhari

 

                    Former Head of State and national leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday put to rest insinuations that he was desperate to be the flag bearer of the party for the 2015 presidential election, saying the unity of the party is paramount.
Buhari also warned his supporters against casting aspersions on any aspirant
on the platform of the party or be rude to leaders of the party as doing so would mean working for the enemy.
Addressing his supporters under the auspices of the Buhari Support Group, General Buhari who said he will soon formally declare his intention to contest the Presidency told them that if eventually he fails to get the party ticket, they should support whoever the party puts forward.
If he however gets the party’s  ticket, Buhari said they should redouble their efforts and commitment until the party wins the presidency, adding that their support must go beyond him as a person and extend to the party.
Buhari was accompanied to the event by former Kaduna state Military Administrator, Col. Hamid Ibrahim Ali, former Minister of Internal Affairs, Brig. General John Shagaya and former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Alhaji Umaru Dembo.
“With support, I intend to offer myself for the position of the President of the republic on the platform of our great party. I intend to make a formal announcement soon and I hope I can count on up your continuing support and sacrifice.
“However, I would like to point out to you that to be more meaningful, your support must extend beyond my person and always be available to the party and all those the party puts forward because it is the party that is the platform.
“You must at all times remember that the APC is a party with several qualified people for each and all the positions that will be contested, including that of the President. It is the primaries that will determine who eventually represents the party and in which capacity.
“If I get the party nomination, I expect you to redouble your effort and commitment until we clinch the presidency. But in the event that it happens to be one of the other aspirants who wins, I will expect you, as a good party man to extend to him your support. We are a united party and united we shall remain because our strength lies in our unity.
“For this and for other reasons, I must warn all my supporters, volunteers and other well wishers within  the party and even out of it not to insult or be rude to any other aspirant or party leader on my behalf.
“My supporters must not engage in any kind of behavior or conduct that will tarnish the image of any leader or promote division and ran our within the ranks of the party. Whoever does that should know that he or she is working for the enemy.
“At the same time, I would like to appeal a curve you to be good Ambassadors of the opposition. As a body, the opposition is committed to the rule of law and as members of the parties in the opposition, you must learn to do the same at all times.
“In particular, you must learn to be vigilant especially just before, during and immediately after elections, whether these are rigged or not so that sponsored hoodlums are not made to commit illegalities that are, in the end blamed on you, ” Buhari said.