BREAKING NEWS: Lawmakers from Nigeria’s North-West endorse President Buhari for second term

Members of the House of Representatives from the north- west geopolitical zone on Wednesday declared their intention to support President Muhammadu Buhari should he decide to seek re-election in 2019.

The caucus also passed a vote of confidence in the administration of President Buhari as well as the leadership of the House of Representatives led by Speaker Yakubu Dogara.

The leader of the north-west caucus and chief whip of the House, Alhassan Doguwa said this in an interview with journalists after a meeting of the group in Abuja.

Fielding questions from journalists, Mr. Doguwa declared that “2019 will come and we will engage all stakeholders and Nigerians cannot afford to miss or lose President Buhari in 2019.”

He said that the decision of the caucus to pass vote of confidence on the president was borne out of his sterling achievements especially in the area of security disclosing they had resolved to support him individually and collectively.

“I want to believe that the security situation in the North West has improved seriously and Nigerians are commending the president and we just have to commend him, support him and identify with him.

“We have also individually and collectively passed a vote of confidence in the leadership of President Buhari’s government and also the leadership of the House of Representatives ably led by Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara.

“We are speaking on behalf of the North West people. I think as far as we are concerned; it does not matter what the people say; we want to say openly that Mr. President has done a lot in the area of security.

“In spite of the challenges, our people in the zone can sleep with their eyes closed and Nigerians are commending him. We have to commend him and we must support him”, Mr. Doguwa stated.

The chief whip said that apart from the issue of Buhari and North West security, the caucus also discussed the 2017 budget and decried the lopsidedness in the allocation of capital budget which was heavily skewed against the region.

“When we looked at the budget, we have a lot of concerns that our zone is relegated to the background especially in the area of capital provision.

“We looked at interventions in the budget and discovered that we have been under represented in the project allocation in the power sector and in education.

“Also, the area of zonal interventions; we have concerns about it and we have agreed that as soon as the budget is committed to the committees, all members of the zone should be vigilant”, he said.

NAN