Abuja – Pressure is building up gradually on President Muhammadu Buhari to join the presidential race for 2019, even though his body language is not clear yet on his ambition.
SATURDAY INDEPENDENT gathered that stakeholders and top political elite from the North may be mounting the pressure on the president, having sensed that he is now relatively healthy and seems good to go for another term.
It was also gathered from some of Buhari loyalists that even though the president has not voiced his intention to run, leaders of the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) seem determined to pool their weight behind him to consolidate their stay in power.
This also became obvious on Friday, when a group under the auspices of Buhari Support Group stormed the Presidential Villa to have a meeting with the President.
According to leader of the delegation, Abu Ibrahim, the BSG could best be described as an amalgamation of over 189 different support groups which ensured that the president was able to clinch victory in 2015.
“We came here as members of the national committee of the Buhari Support Group. This is an amalgamation of about 189 different support groups that had worked for President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC to win the 2015 general election.
“We have been holding meetings, discussing the problems of this country, Nigeria. So, we thought it was high time we met with the President to intimate him on the activities of the group.
“We discussed with him about the plans to improve the situation in Nigeria. Mr. President was very pleased with our programmes,” Ibrahim said.
When our State House correspondent asked Ahmed Lawan, Senate leader who accompanied Ibrahim to the Villa, what was their primary mission to the State House?, he replied saying “Mr. President will have no option but continue the good work he has started.”
Ibrahim earlier said he believed in Buhari’s philosophy and has a greater conviction that he can solve the problems of this nation.
He said Buhari epitomizes progress, stability and prosperity of this nation.
Lawan said, “You know it is not enough to help in elections like most of us did. It’s important that we continue to support the president and his administration and as a group, across the nation.
“This is what we will continue to do. We will continue to identify with and support all the programmes that this administration has set forward. l believe too that we have every justification to be happy because, the president campaigned on three major pillars of anti-corruption, fighting insecurity across the country and revitalising the economy of Nigeria.
“It has been a very, very good journey so far and we also believe that Mr. President and Nigerians have a future beyond 2019. What he has started, by the grace of God, he should be able to complete, up to 2023.”
He argued that the administration has done well in the economic front, adding that the country has a greater prospects of full economic recovery if Buhari continues in office.
“Well, we have issues we think that the administration will be dealing with very successfully, now that we have economic recovery and growth plans which encapsulate everything we need to move Nigeria forward.
“Now that Nigerians have continued to show love for Mr. President, l believe that we are going to achieve those things that we set for ourselves at the moment. I also believe that the future is bright and by the grace of God, by 2019, we would have achieved so much in this administration and Mr. President will have no option but continue the good work he has started,” he stated.
Receiving the group, President Buhari commended the efforts of various support groups working for the progress of his administration.
He said posterity would reward their sacrifices for the peace, progress and prosperity of the nation.
The president assured them of the judicious use of available national resources for the betterment of all Nigerians.
“I am grateful for your sacrifices. Your work requires a lot of sacrifices both physical and material.
“I do not think anybody will join this organisation for material reasons.
“What you are doing is for the nation and not for me as an individual. Therefore, there is no way you can lose because what you are doing is for posterity,” he said.
Mallam Nasir El-rufai, Kaduna State Governor, had in a previous visit to the presidency said the Buhari loyalists would stop at nothing to ensure that the President runs for another term in office.
Aside the BSG, Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al Makura and his Bauchi State counterpart, including others from the ruling party were spotted at the Presidential Villa on Friday, where they came to observe the Ju’maat prayers with the president.
Immediately after the prayers some of them had private meetings with the president in his office.
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