Former Head of State and presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, Maj-Gen. Mohammadu Buhari (retd.), said in Abuja that his involvement in the 2011 elections was his last as he will not present himself for the presidential race again.
He made the declaration on Wednesday, according to the News Agency of Nigeria, at a rally to close his presidential electioneering tour.
“This campaign is the third and last one for me, since after it, I will not present myself again for election into the office of the President,’’ Buhari said.
He said he was not in the presidential race for the love of the office, money or personal goal but because of his love for his people and the country.
“I am not in this race to advance or project any vested interest or group.
“I joined the race out of personal conviction and love for my country and concern for the welfare of its people.
“I am in this solely for the love of my country and the concern for its destiny and the fate of the people.
“And that is why despite the many disappointments along the way, I am still in the struggle and will remain in it to the end,’’ Buhari said with an emotion-filled voice.
He said he had decided to dedicate the rest of his life time “to fighting for the people until their rights are restored to them.”
Buhari said his tour of the country during the campaign exposed him to numerous problems and the urgent need to address them.
“There are social, infrastructural and environmental ills that have combined to inflict intolerable hardship on our people. Not only are they still very much around, they are in fact, getting worse by the day,” said the former head of state.
He said his primary mission as the country’s president was to provide a leadership for the actualisation of a vision that would enrich the system by developing the potentials of the people and the country.
He said, “I joined politics and particularly this presidential race to respond to this need.
“I am armed with the clear vision, and the appropriate policy that will appraise and tackle issues.
“With all due humility, I believe I have something to offer our people; greatness will only be achieved by the vision that brings conscious planning and unrelenting hard work.”
Buhari said if voted as president of the country, his administration would ensure accountability and transparency while strengthening the financial regulatory mechanism in governance.
The CPC candidate said his administration would also strive to work closely with anti-corruption agencies while leading by example by promoting honesty in the polity.
Buhari said the emphasis of his administration if elected, would be the security of lives and property, standardising education and investing in human capital.
He said that his administration would also find lasting solution to the Niger Delta problem by providing a comprehensive blueprint for the development of the area as well as ensuring wealth creation across the country.
He thanked the people for keeping faith with the country in spite of its various challenges and most importantly, for supporting the cause of the CPC and their presence at its rallies.
He advised the electorate to keep watch on their votes after casting.
``The price of freedom is still eternal victory and nowhere is this true more than in the attempt to entrench a democratic culture,’’ he said.
He, however, called on the government in power and at all levels, INEC and security agencies to be fair and just to all parties and candidates ``in all elections and all offices’’.
This, he said, was the only way to ensure that the country’s democracy survived while partisan politics retained the confidence and support of the people in future.
| Posted: at | |
Solidstonez
TRENDING GISTS 
Junior Pope; Movie Producer, Adanma Luke Denies Claims That She Abandons Families Boat Mishap Victims
Actress Wumi Toriola Rejoices As She Completes Master’s Degree At Lautech, Shares Photos
VIDEO: Man Arrested After Being Caught Sleeping With His Friend's Wife
HARDWORK PAYS; Lady Opens Own Shop After Years Of Hawking Chin Chin, Egg Rolls, Puff Puff
Heartbreaking; Man Losses Wife And Baby After 14 Years Of Barrenness
Ondo Police Arrests Man Who Said He Saw Fetish Items in Car of 'Yahoo Boy' That Led to His Lynching by Mob
30 Year Old Man, Jeffery Caught Defiling His Landlady's 13 Year Old Daughter In Rivers