Former Nigerian Minister of Information and Culture, and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Tony Momoh, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari will run for the 2019 presidential elections.
In an interview with VINCENT KALU, the veteran journalist noted that nothing will change between now and 2023,as Buhari remains on ground.
President Buhari’s administration will be two years in office, what is your assessment of the government?
In an interview, I said if we don’t perform at the end of four years that Nigerians should stone us, and I later stated in another interview that in two years they should stone us, if we don’t perform.
May 29, we will be two years, and unless you have people who are ideologically opposed to this government, what we are entitled to is accolades, not stoning, because we have delivered, in spite of the recession.
Nobody foresaw the recession, but we have delivered on security, and no place in Nigeria do we have a foreign flag as Boko Haram hoisted flags in some areas in the North East before we came to power.
We have delivered in the area of corruption, because everybody knows that anybody who has anything to hide when there is a knock on their doors, they are apprehensive.
In fact, the aura of the president is all over the place.
The next one is the economy, which we have addressed. The economy is improving. There is diversification, and people who are into agriculture are smiling to the banks.
Because of what we have done, in this second anniversary, Nigerians will not stone us.
What has been his greatest challenge?
The greatest challenge has been in these areas of security, corruption and economy because if we have all hands on deck and everybody cooperating, we wouldn’t have the challenges that I have just mentioned. You know, in security, you have lots of people, in kidnapping, lots of people in armed robbery, lots of people in all sorts of crime.
Then corruption is fighting back. Only in Nigeria will you see people crying because someone is taken to court for corruption. It is unfortunate that Nigerians defend what is ignoble, as long as they have their pay for it.
Of course, for the economy, Nigerians will do anything to get money even if it is to spoil Nigeria. You have lots and lots of 419. Look at Nigerians going abroad because they feel there were greener pastures over there, instead of facing the challenges here. Our people are dying, while crossing the deserts and the Mediterranean Sea; even when they reach Libya and other European countries, they are deported.
People at home are facing the same challenges and they are seeing what they can do to earn a living, and things will be better.
We have problem of communication; we have a duty to explain to our youths the dangers of crossing the desert.
Given the history of elections in Nigeria, as an incumbent, his supporters are eager to know whether he will re-contest or not, they are also confused, as nothing is being heard from associates like you, what are you telling them against the background that some other aspirants like Atiku, Kwakwanso are doing some underground work?
After May 29, 2015, politics ended and governance started, and governance continued till 2019. INEC has programmes for elections and timetable for electioneering, time for election and time for results.
SUN
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