by Anike Jacobs

Earlier this week, reports of a certain grandma, Malama Fati Ibrahim Talle-Tara, 80, who donated her entire life savings to support the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Buhari, went viral on the blogosphere.

The grandma who is a popular food vendor in Koko, Koko/Besse Local Government Area of Kebbi State has now opened up on why she did it.

See excerpts from her interview with Daily Trust below:

Introduction: I am a widow. My husband died and left me with 15 children and 15 grandchildren, and most of them are the ones helping me right now in my business place. I’m actually from Jega. It’s marriage that brought me to Koko.

The first time Buhari ventured into politics and contested, he lost. The second and third time, too, he lost but he appealed to us to be patient. This will be the fourth time Buhari will contest. It is his patriotism, humility and honesty that make me support him. As I speak to you, I have assigned one of my sons to Kano to produce 300,000 posters for Buhari’s campaign. The posters are in Jega right now, ready for distribution.

On how she has donated so far: All my life savings during the times he has contested. There was a time I spent N2 million. I spend my money campaigning for him because everybody knows that he doesn’t have money to do so. I generate the money mostly from savings from my food-selling business which I’ve been doing for decades. It’s my life savings.

Coping without her savings: How much is the money? Compared to the good governance we will get, it’s nothing, really

How Buhari received her at the Airport: I waited the whole day at the airport. I met him physically that day for the first time in my life and we greeted warmly. I felt fulfilled. He was also excited when we met. Interestingly, my fathers’ name is Buhari, too. So, I will do everything for him like I would for my father. Moreover, General Buhari is sincere and patriotic.

When he landed at the airport, he said they should inform Sokoto State Governor Magatakarda Wamakko to take care of my needs. He gave me N1million, one bale of wrappers and two Hajj seats, one for me and one for my daughter Umma whose husband died and left with seven children. I will continue to use my money to campaign for good governance in Nigeria and I will never regret doing that. We have trust in God that this time around we will have that change that we are clamouring for. Even if we lose this election, we will still consider ourselves winners because we know that we lost not because we did not win.

Sola