LIVE UPDATE: Buhari Presidential declaration October 15, 2014Sani Tukur and Festus Owete Muhammadu Buhari, APC presidential aspirant Former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari will today formally declare his intention to contest the February presidential election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, at Eagles Square, Abuja. This will be his fourth attempt. He contested the presidential polls in 2003, 2007 and 2011. Although he had promised not to contest again, the APC leader said he decided to come out again because of the deteriorating state of the nation. Mr. Buhari, a retired general, popularly called GMB, will contend with several other aspirants, including a former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, in the primary of Nigeria’s opposition party, come December. Festus Owete and Sani Tukur are already at Eagles Square to bring you live updates of the event. 13.27 General Buhari was a Federal Commissioner for Petroleum; Chairman, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation; Governor of North-Eastern State; Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces; Chairman, Petroleum Trust Fund [PTF]; three-time presidential candidate [twice for the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, and once for the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC]. This is his fourth time of aspiring for president. 13.26 Melaye APC is a very responsible party, a member just found a large sum of money and has brought it to us, so whoever lost money should approach us. Professor Isa Odidi speaking on behalf of APC members in the diaspora said Nigeria is faced with extra ordinary circumstances and there is the need for an extra ordinary leader to solve them. He said GMB epitomises the qualities of an extra ordinary leader and urged all Nigerians to take back your country. 13.21 Also speaking on behalf of the youth is Comrade Jasper who said various promises of employment have been made since 1999 but such promises were never kept. He said GMB initiated and signed for Nigerias two existing refineries. He urged the youth to vote for him so that he will come back and build more. He also recalled the wonderful days of PTF and stated that many roads in the South East are in bad shape and that Jonathan laid foundation for the second Niger bridge two times that is the road I pass to go to my village, there is no single brick being laid in the name of second Niger bridge. All this things you are doing to us Jonathan, there is God o! Jasper said. 13.17 Melaye we are here to stop those who said there is a difference between stealing and corruption, we are here to stop those who said they had no shoe to deceive Nigerians, General Buhari had a shoe Speaking on behalf of women is Rabi Ishaq said. Nigerian women should respond to the call by the APC. She said Nigerians yearn for and must get change. We are here to endorse our one and only GMB who has always stood for the good of all. Women of Nigeria you are the voters, and you have voted in rulers and not leaders. It is time you vote in leaders We belief GMB can change most of the ills we have in Nigeria within the shortest possible time. Please support our one and only Mandela. He has no parallel, she said. 13.16 Next is goodwill message from various institutions. First to speak is Senator Olorumimbe Mamora on behalf of the elders of the APC. He said there is a wind of change that is blowing and that an idea whose time has come, no one can stop it. He said there is no doubt that an APC government will be in place next year. He said the country cannot afford to continue with insecurity and economic deprivation. We have to work to achieve success, he said. Also speaking, on behalf of Senators is the former Governor of Benue state, George Akume. Mr. Akume said the National Assembly had a very exciting session with General Buhari last night. He said they asked Mr. Buhari how he will manage the Oil industry, adding that if his response is relayed to the gathering you will all weep for this country. Mr. Akume also said the APC is richly endowed with the great human Resources anyone can find in any part of the world. He said his point is buttressed by the way various aspirants under the APC are campaigning without recourse to abuses. Difference without division, rivalry in fellowship, he said. 13.09 General Buhari is making a fresh bid to return to power more than 29 years after he was ousted as military head of state by his then Chief of Army Staff, Ibrahim Babangida. A strict disciplinarian, Mr. Buhari chased the Shehu Shagari civilian regime from power on December 31, 1983. On August 27, 1985, Babangida and his fellow coup plotters sacked him, locking him up for years. His mother died while in detention. 13.02 The former Governor of Bayelsa state, Timipre Sylva, giving the welcome address, said Nigerias economy today needs revamping. He said security situation is in dire need of resuscitation and that the over 200 girls from Chibok are still somewhere no one knows. He said Nigerias problems are well known, but that there is good news because the solution to Nigerias problems is at Eagle Square today, General Muhammadu Buhari. He also said Buhari has occupied almost all cadre of offices, but is running for office again because of Nigerians and not himself. We are very happy that he has decided to come out of retirement to help us stabilise this country, so that the younger ones can carry on with the development of this nation, he said. For those who say Buhari is too old, he said we are not going to talk about age in this campaign because we dont want to be accused of using the inexperience of our opponent. Buhari brings experience and Integrity to this campaign. He is a man of the people today and he will be the president of the People come 14 February 2015, Mr. Sylva concluded. 12.55 Audu Ogbeh, a former National Chairman of the PDP, opened the event with a word of prayer. Mr. Ogbeh, a farmer and intellectual, is coordinating Mr. Buharis campaign. He left the PDP after then President Olusegun Obasanjo shoved him aside for daring to write a letter criticising some of Mr. Obasanjos political tactics at the time [including the abduction of a sitting governor, Chris Ngige]. 12.51  12.44 As Mr. Buhari passes in front of our stand, an overwhelmed supporter sitting beside me said, Are you sure this man is a human being? oh General! Another elderly guy near him was busy weeping! 12.36 Buhari finally arrives.  12.28 [caption id=attachment_169515 align=alignnone width=526] The stage is set for Gen. Buhari (Rtd)[/caption] [caption id=attachment_169516 align=alignnone width=526] Crowd awaiting the arrival of Buhari [/caption] 12.07 Governor of Nasarawa state, Tanko Almakura just arrived. 12.07 PDP has done a lot of damage to our country, this time around we will deal with them, Melaye said in Hausa language 12.06 By the special grace of God, we have decided to rescue Nigeria from the Poverty Development Party.- Dino Melaye 12.06 After todays declaration, the wind of change will blow across Nigeria and end at the Aso Rock Villa. I assure President Goodluck Jonathan that his tenancy at the Villa will expire by May 29, 2014. We will vote, protect our votes and make sure our votes count.- Dino Melaye 12.03 Those anchoring todays event at the Eagle Square are Osita Okechukwu, Ordinary Ahmed Isa (alias Hembelembe) and Dino Melaye. 12.03 Other notable personalities present are Senator Ali Ndume, Senator Abdul Adam, former Nasarawa state Governor, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, former Kano state Deputy Governor, Magaji Abdullahi, Senator Ibrahim Musa [Niger North], Anthony Adeyemi, Ibrahim Dasuki, former Communications Minister. Senator Sadiq Yaraduk, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Hadiza Bala Usman, Sadiya Farouk Umar, Rotimi Akeredolu, Malami Abubakar, Sharon Ikeazu. 12.02 Also at Eagle Square is former Governor of Bayelsa state, Timipre Sylva. 12.02 Former Governor of Lagos state and a chieftain of the APC, Bola Tinubu, just arrived Eagle Square accompanied by Senator Babafemi Ojudu. Mr. Tinubus presence appears to confirm reports that the former governor is pitching his tent with General Buhari to pick the APC ticket. 12.01 Although Buhari is the one declaring today, his posters and banners are competing side by side with various aspirants nationwide at the Eagle Square Abuja.
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 12:47:55 +0000
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