However, four persons including security aides rushed to the octogenarian former military Head of State, raised him up and led him to the podium where he eventually gave his speech.
Our correspondent at the venue of the rally reported that Buhari looked weak and frail while giving his speech and throughout the event.
During the incident, there were hushed discordant voices from the crowd of party supporters indicating that the General was probably not in good health condition.
According to eye witnesses who spoke to our correspondent under condition of anonymity, “From the way he sat when his convoy arrived, it was obvious that the man does not appear very strong. It could be stress arising from old age as well as fatigue from campaign trips to Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Imo and now Cross River State.”
In a related development, Secretary of the Media and Publicity Sub-Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential Campaign Organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has stated that Buhari is unfit to govern Nigeria.
Lately, a lot of concerns have been raised over the health status of Buhari whether he is in good health to withstand the hectic nature of nationwide campaign activities and programmes, as well as the stressful daily demand of the office of the president in an event that he becomes Nigeria’s president.
Only January 1, 2015, National Chairman of the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, and Founder of the Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, Dr. Frederick Fasehun, faulted claims in some quarters that Buhari, is the Messiah Nigerians have been waiting for, alleging that Buhari was suffering from an undisclosed ailment that could make the nation worse for it.
“We challenge Buhari to declare the true state of his health. What ailment is he nursing in his vital organs? To prevent history from repeating itself, to the frustration of his zone, his kinsmen and indeed all, Nigerians should ask this General to subject himself to an independent medical assessment” he said.
Similarly, a notable cleric whose prophetic insights are taken seriously in Nigeria and beyond for their pinpoint accuracy, Apostle Johnson Suleiman, Founder/President of Omega Fire Ministries with headquarters in Auchi, Edo State, has listed Buhari’s health issue as among what God revealed to him as part of 2015 prophecy. He warned that “Buhari’s health needs attention.”
But both the General and his campaign team have maintained sealed lips over these allegations, preferring to forge ahead with the campaign irrespective of the health concerns being raised by the public.
Buhari unfit to rule – Fani-Kayode
Former Minister of Aviation and member of the PDP Presidential campaign organisation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode has described Gen. Buhari’s tenure in office as “shameful and disastrous.”
He asserted that Nigerians cannot expect any change from a man whose democratic credentials are questionable apart from the “atrocities that he committed when he was in power” against Nigerians.
“We believe that it is a struggle between light and darkness. We believe that General Buhari represents the darkness and that President Jonathan represents the light. We believe that General Buhari represents a return to an ugly past which is best forgotten while President Jonathan represents our hope for a greater and better future.
“We believe that the APC, on which platform General Buhari is contesting the presidential election, represents everything that is unholy and unwholesome in our society and that the PDP represents all that is decent and good.
“We believe that the much-vaunted ‘change’ campaign of General Buhari represents nothing but a change from good to evil. If you want a positive change, you cannot expect to get it from a man like General Buhari whose democratic credentials are questionable and whose record in public office is shameful and disastrous.”
“Most people do not remember the atrocities that he committed when he was in power and it is our intention to document them and remind the Nigerian people about them.”
“Most people have chosen to ignore the number of things that General Buhari has said and the number of things that he has done over the last few months and years that have brought carnage, division and strife in our society and that prove that he is not the sort of person that can be trusted with power. It is our intention to bring those things to the attention of the Nigerian people so that they can make an informed choice.”
“We do not believe that Nigeria ought to be run by a man that is not capable of tolerating dissent or by a political party like the APC that has no sense of remorse, restraint or decency and that is not capable of accepting a plurality of views.”
Fani-Kayode also emphasised that the PDP Campaign Media Directorate will not indulge in “the type of cheap propaganda, mudslinging and deceit that the APC and their presidential candidate have been indulging in over the last few weeks and months but” but added a caveat that “it is our full intention to expose General Buhari for what he really is, what he stands for and the great danger that his candidacy portends for the unity of the Nigerian state and the peace and wellbeing of the Nigerian people.”
He said the Media unit will comply with the directives of President Jonathan to run a clean campaign that is based on facts, figures and issues.
Buhari restates commitment to anti-graft crusade
While in Owerri, Imo State for the South-East leg of his campaign yesterday, Buhari, reaffirmed his resolve to fight corruption and insurgency headlong if elected president come February 14.
Buhari made the declaration yesterday while speaking during a brief stopover meeting with South-East stakeholders at the Government House, Owerri, the Imo State capital.
The presidential hopeful who identified corruption and insecurity as the bane of the nation’s present economy promised to end the malaise, if elected president in order to reposition Nigeria’s economy.
Claiming that the current spate of insecurity was not matter of religion or ethnicity, Buhari blamed the unceasing wave of insurgency on the state of anarchy which, according to him, the ruling People’s Democratic Party had bequeathed to the nation since 1999.
To tackle corruption, the former Head of State declared that his administration would deal decisively with any corrupt public officer found culpable stressing that a situation where probes are conducted on corrupt public officials and institutions for formality sake would no longer be tolerated.
Buhari regretted that several probes conducted by the National Assembly such as the Power probe, were mere shows that produced no result despite huge sums of money wasted on the exercise.
He blamed President Goodluck and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for the high rate of corruption and insecurity in the land adding that the present administration is paying lip service to the issue of stamping corruption out of the country because it lacks capacity to do so.
According to him, the time to save Nigeria’s economy from further fall is now that the people are about changing the ruling party which, he said, had failed because of misrule and insensitivity to the plight of the suffering masses.
Speaking earlier, Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, in his welcome remarks told Alh. Buhari that the South Eaat Zone would be made a fertile ground for the first time to enable him win the come February, 14.
The governor who jocularly said that he lost the presidential primary election because Imo people prayed against his presidential ambition, requested the APC topmost flagbearer to count Imo as one of the states he would win massively.
Okorocha requested the dualization of federal roads in the South East, revamp the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport and expressed optimism that Buhari would win because he is a man well known nationwide for his penchant and successes in combating corruption and insecurity.
Source: Nigerian Pilot
No comments:
Post a Comment