I Will Lead From The Front In Boko Haram War- Buhari
The All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to personally “lead from the front” in the war against the Islamist sect, Boko Haram if voted in as the country’s president in March 28 presidential poll.
The presidential aspirant gave the pledge on Thursday while delivering a speech at the Chatham House international affairs institute in London, Vanguard reports.
READ ALSO: Fayose Opens Up On Why He Opposes Buhari
The APC presidential candidate who is a former military head of state also used the medium to reject the descriptions of him as a “dictator,”
Buhari, who argued against further delays to the election, expressed optimism that a free, fair and peaceful election would enhance democracy in Africa. He also asserted that Nigeria had been failed by a consistent lack of leadership from Jonathan in the insurgency.
“Our soldiers have neither received the necessary support nor the required incentive to tackle this problem. Let me assure you that if I’m elected president, I vow to change that. We will give them adequate modern arms and ammunition, we will improve intelligence gathering, we will be tough on terrorists and tough on its root causes in the affected areas. No inch of Nigerian territory will ever be in the hands of the enemy,” Buhari said.
The 72-year-old opposition presidential candidate who has been seen as neck-and-neck with President Goodluck Jonathan in the closely fought election campaign pledged to to return Nigeria to its former role as a stabilising force in West Africa.
While responding to speculations that President Jonathan and the PDP shifted the elections to give them time to quell the momentum from the APC, Buhari said: “any form of extension will not be tolerated. Instead, free, fair and peaceful elections could trigger a wave of democratic consolidation in Africa and help to strengthen democracy in Nigeria.”
The APC flag bearer, who is seen as an anti-corruption figure despite alleged human rights abuses during his tenure as a military head of state in the 1980s, also cleared the air on the descriptions of himself as a former dictator.
“Let me say without sounding defensive that dictatorship was military rule, though some are less dictatorial than others. I take responsibility for whatever happened under my watch. I cannot change the past but I can change the present and the future. So, before you is a former military ruler and a converted democrat who is ready to operate under democratic rules. I will, if elected, lead by personal example,” he said.
The presidential candidate, however, noted that on the issue of corruption, there will be no confusion as to where he stands, adding that corruption will have no place and the corrupt will not be appointed to his administration.
READ ALSO: Buhari Speaks At Chatham House In London
Buhari further assured that APC government would work to free the people from the curse of poverty, noting that the expectation of getting there overnight is not realistic but there are some people in Nigeria who are serious about stabilising the system.
Meanwhile, some people have predicted that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could lose power for the first time since Nigeria returned to her civilian rule in 1999.
However, Nigerians have taken to different social media platform to express their feelings about the speech delivered at the Chatham House international affairs institute in London by the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.)
Source: Legit.ng
