“Tinubu Is Fully-In-Charge Of My Presidential Campaign” – Buhari (Full Speech)

PoliticsNGR has been furnished with a transcript of President Muhammadu
Buhari’s full speech at the Inauguration of his 2019 Presidential
Campaign council in Abuja today.

President Buhari hailed all
those who were selected to be part of the council, adding that his
co-chairman, Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be fully in charge of all
activities.

He said;

“I would like to welcome you all, the
leaders of our party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, to the formal
inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council for the purpose
of managing our campaigns for the 2019 general elections.

2. This
is a historical moment and I consider it a great privilege to have been
unanimously nominated by our party to run as its candidate, unopposed,
for a second term of office as the president of our country Nigeria.

3.
I thank God Almighty, and our hard working, long suffering, yet
resolutely committed fellow citizens, for the continued investment of
their trust in our own commitment and competence to redirect our country
and its governance towards sustainable and wholesome development.

4.
I congratulate all our party men and women across the country, who are
seeking election alongside me, as well as those who have found it
necessary to run on other political platforms.

5. I congratulate
all the participants in the party primary process, who may not have
gotten all they wanted, but who have accepted to continue the work of
ensuring a healthy political process.

6. I urge all those with
any remaining reservations, to recommit themselves to the central task
of our victory in the elections and to the greater goal of uplifting
this nation towards its manifest destiny.

7. Having waited for
all the dust raised by the nomination exercise, and the carefully worked
out reconciliation processes to ensure some measure of healing, we are
better placed to put together an all inclusive campaign council, that
will effectively engage the entire voting public throughout the length
and breadth of our federation, and deliver a resounding victory for us
at the general elections.

8. This Presidential Campaign Council
was constituted with a conscious determination to ensure inclusiveness
and excellence, and is expected to conduct a campaign based on our
modest achievements to turn around our beleaguered nation from
insecurity, stagnation and massive abuse of scarce public resources.

9.
Nigerians voted us into power in 2015 because they put trust and
confidence that we will make a great difference. We are now building on
the experience of our successful outing in the 2015 elections. It is my
hope that this wonderful team put together will anchor our campaigns to
lead our party and its candidates to victory in the general elections in
a few weeks’ time.

10. A victory for us as a party is a victory
for all well meaning Nigerians, who are committed to CHANGE from an
inglorious past; where those in positions of public trust willfully took
for themselves what belongs to us all; where the security of our
citizens was second place to their acquisition of unwholesome wealth;
where our economic growth was sacrificed for the fleeting ease of import
dependency.

11. We have in the last 3 years and 6 months
reversed this downward slide that the PDP took us in its 16 years of
misrule. We have restored the territorial integrity of our nation,
thanks to our gallant men and women of our armed forces. We are
systematically engaged in all the remaining corridors of insurgency,
kidnappings, robberies, herdsmen and farmers clashes.

12. We have
reset our national values: corruption is no longer condoned and is no
longer seen as normal for public office holders. The agencies of
government are no longer equivocal in dealing with anyone who flouts our
laws.

13. The high and low are receiving jail terms, loots are
being recovered, and Nigerians are increasingly displaying the timeless
values of honesty, honour and decency. I congratulate us all for making
these changes possible.

14. Our economy has become a prudently
managed enterprise. Our resources are now working for us, as we ensure
the delivery of key national infrastructure, which were left unattended
over these past years.

15 The direct impact of our policies on
improvements in roads, railways, and power supply are evident. There is
greater evidence of economic diversification seen in growing local
production of agricultural produce and solid minerals.

16. Our
government has succeeded in the last four years in halting national
drift, removing the shadow of insecurity and fear dominating our life
and reviving our economy from decline to stability and growth. The
macroeconomic health of our economy, indicated by several measurable
factors such as a stable exchange rate, lower inflation, growing foreign
reserves, has been applauded by independent local and international
rating agencies.

17. In addition, the quality of elections since
2015 has continued to improve with declining levels of problems that
have defined elections in the past. Free, fair and credible elections
are the foundation of political stability and peace in any nation.

18.
We have insisted that votes must count and have maintained a policy of
non-interference in elections. INEC has so far since 2015, conducted
fair and credible elections in 195 constituencies nationwide, which have
been attested nationwide to be qualitatively better than previous
elections.

19. Let me reiterate my commitment to free and fair
elections. If there is one legacy I want to leave is the enthronement of
democracy as a system of government. And for democracy to be enthroned,
elections must be free and fair. That means citizens have a right to
vote for candidates of their choice without intimidation in any form. I
have warned INEC and security agencies to that effect.

20. We
will keep insisting that votes must count. Our campaigns will be
anchored on our performance in the last four years. There is no doubt
that our party has succeeded in taking Nigeria to a new level of
enduring peace, economic growth political stability, justice and
progress. This is the new level we are promising Nigerians, the details
of which we will take to Nigerians as we embark on our campaigns.

21.
As we begin campaign in earnest, I implore our leaders to resist being
provoked, remain focused and civil in our campaigns. Let us engage our
citizens on issues and ask for reflection on the comparative difference
between 2015 and 2019 on security, economy and corruption and abuse by
those entrusted with leadership in Nigeria.

22. As we embark on
the campaign to secure mandate for the next level, I want to acknowledge
the sacrifices and contributions of all stakeholders who have
endeavored to keep our party united, and our governance successful.

23.
I urge members of this formidable team to always keep their eyes on the
ball, which is the success of our party at the polls. I wish to appeal
to all members to be guided by the enduring vision behind the formation
and sustenance of our party, which is anchored, on sacrifice and
imperative to salvage and stabilize our great and promising nation.

24.
I appeal to all our members, and especially those who are in the
campaign council, to unite and cooperate and ensure a smooth operation.
Needless to add, Directorates could co-opt on full or part-time basic
persons who could add value to our campaign and help us to attain
success.

25. To my mind, the division of responsibility is clear
enough. The Leadership that has formulated the campaign policy will
supervise its execution; the Director-General will have overall
responsibility for all aspects of the campaign, including field
operations; while the Secretary will be responsible for all
administrative and treasury-related activities of the council.

26.
Even though we have only 40 days, this campaign is going to tax us all,
because we intend to touch all corners of our great and vast country.
But I must also add that, though we will all be deeply involved, I would
like to assure the nation that I will do my part without making
governance or my work suffer. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, my co-chairman,
will be fully in charge, and is going to be on 24-hour vigil.

27.
That is to say, the operational buck of this campaign stops at his
table, and I therefore urge all of us in the leadership of this
campaign, in the field operations on the campaign trail and in the
secretariat to consult with Asiwaju whenever guidance is needed.

28.
It is on this note, and in the name of God, that I now have the
pleasure of inaugurating the APC Presidential Campaign Council 2019.

Source:- Politicsngr