Buhari Seems Too Desperate For Power; I'm Not Surprised He Failed, Says Junaid Mohammed

saharareporters

Junaid Mohammed, a lawmaker during Nigeria's Second Republic, says President Muhammadu Buhari seems too desperate for power and is not likely to concede defeat in the forthcoming elections if he loses. He stated this in an interview with The Punch newspaper, published on Saturday.

According to the former lawmaker, who also resigned as the vice-presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the notion that he is secretly supporting Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is "arrant nonsense".

On if Buhari would concede defeat, he said: "With the information I have with me, I don’t think he is ready. The President seems too desperate for power. For a man that has gone through so many phases of leadership in government, I see no reason why he should still want to hold onto power at all cost. I’m not surprised he failed."

On the reports that he was secretly supporting PDP, he added: "That is arrant nonsense! If I didn’t support the PDP when it was the PDP during the years it was led by Obasanjo, what will attract me to the PDP now?

Do I look like somebody who can be in the PDP? Do I look like someone who wants to be in a party that wants to wrestle power to make money?

"I think that is rather unfair to me. I am involved in Northern Elders Forum led by Professor Ango Abdullahi. Ango is not a member of the PDP. Why will I be a member of the SDP and only after resignation from top position say I want to support the candidate of the PDP?

"Yes, I don’t support Buhari, but I don’t see Atiku as the alternative and I said so publicly. Although I believe Buhari has failed but the solution is not to bring back the PDP or Atiku. Whether I’m aggrieved or not, I have been known for being consistent since I joined politics over 40 years ago. When these parties were formed, I never showed any indication, even with 95 per cent of the people I grew with trooping in."

According to the former lawmaker, who also resigned as the vice-presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the notion that he is secretly supporting Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is "arrant nonsense".