President Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated his commitment to ensuring that the general elections are free and fair.
The
president affirmed his commitment in a statement made on Monday,
January 7, at the inauguration of 2019 APC Presidential Campaign Council
which held ate the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
In
his speech the president said he has given strict directives to INEC and
security agencies to ensure that citizens vote for candidates of their
choice without intimidation in any form.
He also said that the
legacy he wants to leave is the “Enthronement of democracy as a system
of government”. Adding that, “For democracy to be enthroned, elections
must be free and fair”.
Below is the presidents full speech at the inauguration.
“Protocols:
I
would like to welcome you all, the leaders of our party, the All
Progressives Congress, APC, to the formal inauguration of the APC
Presidential Campaign Council for the purpose of managing our campaigns
for the 2019 general elections.
This is a historical moment and I
consider it a great privilege to have been unanimously nominated by our
party to run as its candidate, unopposed, for a second term of office
as the president of our country Nigeria.
I thank God Almighty,
and our hard working, long suffering, yet resolutely committed fellow
citizens, for the continued investment of their trust in our own
commitment and competence to redirect our country and its governance
towards sustainable and wholesome development.
I congratulate all
our party men and women across the country, who are seeking election
alongside me, as well as those who have found it necessary to run on
other political platforms.
I congratulate all the participants in
the party primary process, who may not have gotten all they wanted, but
who have accepted to continue the work of ensuring a healthy political
process.
I urge all those with any remaining reservations, to
recommit themselves to the central task of our victory in the elections
and to the greater goal of uplifting this nation towards its manifest
destiny.
Having waited for all the dust raised by the nomination
exercise, and the carefully worked out reconciliation processes to
ensure some measure of healing, we are better placed to put together an
all inclusive campaign council, that will effectively engage the entire
voting public throughout the length and breadth of our federation, and
deliver a resounding victory for us at the general elections.
This
Presidential Campaign Council was constituted with a conscious
determination to ensure inclusiveness and excellence, and is expected to
conduct a campaign based on our modest achievements to turn around our
beleaguered nation from insecurity, stagnation and massive abuse of
scarce public resources.
Nigerians voted us into power in 2015
because they put trust and confidence that we will make a great
difference. We are now building on the experience of our successful
outing in the 2015 elections. It is my hope that this wonderful team put
together will anchor our campaigns to lead our party and its candidates
to victory in the general elections in a few weeks’ time.
A
victory for us as a party is a victory for all well meaning Nigerians,
who are committed to CHANGE from an inglorious past; where those in
positions of public trust willfully took for themselves what belongs to
us all; where the security of our citizens was second place to their
acquisition of unwholesome wealth; where our economic growth was
sacrificed for the fleeting ease of import dependency.
We have in
the last 3 years and 6 months reversed this downward slide that the PDP
took us in its 16 years of misrule. We have restored the territorial
integrity of our nation, thanks to our gallant men and women of our
armed forces. We are systematically engaged in all the remaining
corridors of insurgency, kidnappings, robberies, herdsmen and farmers
clashes.
We have reset our national values: corruption is no
longer condoned and is no longer seen as normal for public office
holders. The agencies of government are no longer equivocal in dealing
with anyone who flouts our laws.
The high and low are receiving
jail terms, loots are being recovered, and Nigerians are increasingly
displaying the timeless values of honesty, honour and decency. I
congratulate us all for making these changes possible.
Our
economy has become a prudently managed enterprise. Our resources are now
working for us, as we ensure the delivery of key national
infrastructure, which were left unattended over these past years.
The
direct impact of our policies on improvements in roads, railways, and
power supply are evident. There is greater evidence of economic
diversification seen in growing local production of agricultural produce
and solid minerals.
Our government has succeeded in the last
four years in halting national drift, removing the shadow of insecurity
and fear dominating our life and reviving our economy from decline to
stability and growth. The macroeconomic health of our economy, indicated
by several measurable factors such as a stable exchange rate, lower
inflation, growing foreign reserves, has been applauded by independent
local and international rating agencies.
In addition, the quality
of elections since 2015 has continued to improve with declining levels
of problems that have defined elections in the past. Free, fair and
credible elections are the foundation of political stability and peace
in any nation.
We have insisted that votes must count and have
maintained a policy of non-interference in elections. INEC has so far
since 2015, conducted fair and credible elections in 195 constituencies
nationwide, which have been attested nationwide to be qualitatively
better than previous elections.
Let me reiterate my commitment to
free and fair elections. If there is one legacy I want to leave is the
enthronement of democracy as a system of government. And for democracy
to be enthroned, elections must be free and fair. That means citizens
have a right to vote for candidates of their choice without intimidation
in any form. I have warned INEC and security agencies to that effect.
We
will keep insisting that votes must count. Our campaigns will be
anchored on our performance in the last four years. There is no doubt
that our party has succeeded in taking Nigeria to a new level of
enduring peace, economic growth political stability, justice and
progress. This is the new level we are promising Nigerians, the details
of which we will take to Nigerians as we embark on our campaigns.
As
we begin campaign in earnest, I implore our leaders to resist being
provoked, remain focused and civil in our campaigns. Let us engage our
citizens on issues and ask for reflection on the comparative difference
between 2015 and 2019 on security, economy and corruption and abuse by
those entrusted with leadership in Nigeria.
As we embark on the
campaign to secure mandate for the next level, I want to acknowledge the
sacrifices and contributions of all stakeholders who have endeavored to
keep our party united, and our governance successful.
I urge
members of this formidable team to always keep their eyes on the ball,
which is the success of our party at the polls. I wish to appeal to all
members to be guided by the enduring vision behind the formation and
sustenance of our party, which is anchored, on sacrifice and imperative
to salvage and stabilize our great and promising nation.
I appeal
to all our members, and especially those who are in the campaign
council, to unite and cooperate and ensure a smooth operation. Needless
to add, Directorates could co-opt on full or part-time basic persons who
could add value to our campaign and help us to attain success.
To
my mind, the division of responsibility is clear enough. The Leadership
that has formulated the campaign policy will supervise its execution;
the Director-General will have overall responsibility for all aspects of
the campaign, including field operations; while the Secretary will be
responsible for all administrative and treasury-related activities of
the council.
Even though we have only 40 days, this campaign is
going to tax us all, because we intend to touch all corners of our great
and vast country. But I must also add that, though we will all be
deeply involved, I would like to assure the nation that I will do my
part without making governance or my work suffer. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed
Tinubu, my co-chairman, will be fully in charge, and is going to be on
24-hour vigil.
That is to say, the operational buck of this
campaign stops at his table, and I therefore urge all of us in the
leadership of this campaign, in the field operations on the campaign
trail and in the secretariat to consult with Asiwaju whenever guidance
is needed.
It is on this note, and in the name of God, that I now
have the pleasure of inaugurating the APC Presidential Campaign Council
2019.
Thank you all very much. God bless our country”.
