2019 election: Buhari ready to give up power for progress of Nigeria

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has stated that President Muhammadu Buhari is ready to give up power for Nigeria to move forward.

He also maintained that no politician currently in the country can defeat President Buhari in election.

The governor also spoke on the recent report on restructuring which the All Progressive Congress, APC, committee headed by him, submitted to the party.

El-Rufai in an interview on Channels Television, said, “I do not have any doubt in my mind that we are going to win the next elections; not only in the centre but we are going to preserve our 24 states, and even more.

“We are not saying this foolishly; this is scientific. We are monitoring the pulse of Nigerians, not the pulse of a section of Nigerians and I am confident that we are going to win the 2019 elections.

“We know the pulse of the nation, we know where we are losing support, we know where we are gaining support; I have no doubt in my mind that we are going to win the 2019 elections.

“There are two pulses of Nigerians – there is the pulse of the Nigerian elites which is the noise that you hear in the media, the social media and so on; then there is the pulse of the people.

“If you remember how many people came out to welcome President Buhari in Kano, then you will know that there are two Nigerians.”

Asked how the President received the proposals by his committee, El-Rufai added, “He was excited. He was very pleased, and he said he fully supports what we have done and that he is looking forward to the party officially transmitting it to him for his necessary action.

“President Buhari is not concerned about his personal power; he is concerned about Nigeria making progress.

“If giving up power will make Nigeria progress, he will give all of it up. Not just part of it, but all of it. This is the real Buhari that many people don’t know. It is the most comprehensive review of this subject matter ever in Nigeria’s history.

“APC’s true federalism committee differs from other confabs in at least two ways; first, previous confabs were conclaves of the elite. The government picks who goes there, they decide who participates, and it is mostly old people with a sprinkle of a few women. Our committee opened the space for everyone.

“More than one-third of the membership of our committee were women. More than a quarter of the membership were young people, below the age of 40. It was a very broad range of consultation. 

Many opposition figures have expressed support for the report. We have proposed more than 20 alterations to the constitution. Everything we did is in the best interest of Nigeria.

“So, this is the first time that a platform has been given to young people and women and those that are vulnerable to give their voices to what shape of the federation they want to see.

“Because old people like me, 50, 60, 70 cannot define the future for Nigerian youth below the age of 40. What young women and our people see is completely different from what old people see.”