President Muhammadu Buhari has weighed in on the controversy that has trailed February 25 presidential election
He said that opposition parties failed to win
the election because of complacency and overconfidence.
According to Garba Shehu, the Senior Special
Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Buhari spoke on Thursday at
his residence in the State House, where he received the Progressive Governors
Forum, led by its chairman, Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State.
Buhari said: “They were already telling their
foreign backers they would defeat the APC. Our party blended confidence with
caution; we worked hard and won. Their overconfidence is creating more problems
for the opposition than anyone else. They find it hard to convince those who
supported them from the outside why they cannot beat us.
“A combination of overconfidence, complacency
and bad tactical moves made them lose, plain and clear. It has created more
problems in their camp. Why did they fail to remove us?”
In response to an issue raised by Governor
Bagudu, the leader of the forum, President Buhari said: “An important reason I
congratulate Asiwaju on winning is that the opposition got support and false
hope from outside and went on to create the impression that they will win, that
they will defeat us. How more wrong could anyone be?”
The President charged the Progressive
Governors to stick together and openly address issues among themselves.
“Try and keep solving problems. Be courageous
to discuss them openly between yourselves. This is the best way to survive
politically in Nigeria,” said the President, who further urged: “You
(governors) [should] have a program to meet regularly and to discuss issues and
how to maintain the party nationwide.”
President Buhari also spoke at length about
his retirement proposal, saying that he intended to be home in Daura for six
months before eventually moving to Kaduna.
He lauded Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna
State for the infrastructure he provided that would make life easier for the
people of the state and for him in his retirement.
He equally commended the Governor of Kano
State.
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