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Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming election and former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, has described the support of former President Olusegun Obasanjo as a confidence booster for him and his party, adding that the action will surely win them more supporters.

Buhari, who described Obasanjo as a well respected Nigerian who many people go to consult before making key decisions, noted that the endorsement of Obasanjo of his candidacy also means that many Nigerians who look up to the former President for direction will follow in line to support his ambition.

The APC standard bearer who spoke yesterday in a media chat with the Cable News Network (CNN) also spoke on peoples’ perception of him as a former dictator who banned political meetings and free speech, detained thousands of people, created secret tribunals, executed people for crimes that were not capital offences, among others.

While not faulting the issues raised about his tenure as a military dictator, Buhari pointed out that what was possible under a military rule could not be contemplated under a multi-party democracy.

According to him, “All those things you mentioned with a degree of accuracy are actually what happened, it was then under military administration and when the military administration came under my leadership, we suspended those aspects of the Constitution that we felt will be difficult for us to operate under those circumstances. I think I will be judged harshly as an individual that what happened under military government can be extended under multi-party democratic system.”

Also speaking on the menace that the Boko Haram insurgency has created in the country, Buhari said the insurgency has become not only an embarrassment to the military but also to the entire country, noting that the impression the military had created across the world as a result of their impressive performance at international engagements was being diminished by their inability to tackle the present problem.

He, however, assured that under his watch, he will ensure that all monies allotted to the military for training and equipment will be properly utilised for the purposes for which they are meant.

“We know how Boko Haram started and sadly the Nigerian military that has a reputation internationally for effectiveness, it is a great embarrassment to them and the country that they are not able to secure Nigerian territory of the area of 14 local government out of 774 local governments.

“I believe the problem will not be too difficult for APC government, because we know that the Nigerian military is competent. So, it is a question of making plans to ensure that the money voted for equipment and training are properly utilised,” he said. [mynewswatchtimesng]


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