Lagos is the safest and cleanest city in Nigeria…| Nine things we learnt from @BuhariGMB’s acceptance letter

by James Sambo

A former head of state, General Muhammad Buhari has released his acceptance letter as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

2. Lagos is the cleanest and safest city in Nigeria:  I also wish to commend Lagos State Government and state party for hosting this convention. Time was when people feared to come to Lagos. Today, Lagos is the cleanest and dare I say safest city in Nigeria. This achievement is due to the leadership and strength of purpose of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Chief Babatunde Fashola the two Governors since 1999 and their team of professionals for this wonderful transformation Nigeria greets you!

3. Democracy prevailed at the primaries: The outcome of the presidential primaries of the All Progressives Congress is a demonstration of democracy at work. It is testimony to the fact that democracy as a concept is greater than the interests of individuals in a free and functional political system. What has just happened is not about winning or losing but about the triumph of liberty, freedom of choice and association, which are hallmarks of democracy.

4. He wants nothing else but love amongst Nigerians: My call to you is not to realise the personal fulfilment of one man. This Common Cause is nothing less than the love for our nation and concern for its present condition. And a resolve to make things better for Nigeria.

5. Forget the religious crisis, we are one:  What I say today is for all Nigerians: Christian and Muslim, Southern and Northern, rich and poor, young and old, man and woman. We are all citizens of Nigeria. There is no dividing line among us that I care to honour. Either we advance as one or fail altogether.

6. Every Nigerian leader should be committed: My choice and my colleagues choice and wish is that we progress together. Preserving the nation’s future is a scared obligation to all of us in this party. Leaders should be wholly committed to fulfilling this obligation otherwise they have no business being leaders.

7. A diss was thrown at Goodluck Jonathan’s administration by highlighting the problems in the country: Shall we at home continue to live in a condition where the Power Holding Company and its successors seem only to have the power to hold us in darkness? Shall we continue in a situation where 250 of our daughters have been abducted and the government has been unable to rescue them or provide credible information about what steps they are taking? Shall we live in a nation where several people were trampled to death in search of jobs in a stadium and yet no one has taken responsibility for the tragedy? Shall we live in a nation where the ranks of the poor swell and their poverty increase while the consorts of the powerful enjoy unprecedented wealth? The lives of the poor are bled dry while those of the powerful soak in excessive abundance.

8. Nigerians should get ready for change:  My answers to these questions are “No, No, No, No!” It is time to close this demeaning chapter in our nation’s history.

9. He is giving it his all: I ask that you join this effort, not for me, but to establish a better land for all of us. I understand and accept the hard challenge ahead. When all is said and done, let it be written that Muhammadu Buhari gave his all for this nation.