Buhari: I’ll Stand Down for Better APC Candidate

Muhammadu Buhari

By: Aisha Wakaso

The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) national leader and its candidate in the 2011 presidential election, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, has stated that he is ready to drop his presidential ambition for the survival of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a conglomeration of the nation’s major opposition parties, including CPC.

Buhari told reporters in Minna yesterday that he would forgo his ambition to run for a record fourth time if a better candidate emerges.

The former military head of state, who was in Minna for the maiden edition of the Sam Nda-Isaiah Annual Lecture Series, said he was willing to drop his ambition for the progress of democracy and the good of the country.

“I am willing to step down if there is a formidable and better candidate than me. It is not about me but for the survival of the party. APC is about ensuring internal democracy, whoever emerges is the person I will support. Yes I will be ready to step down,” he said.

Also, a former Kano State governor and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) presidential candidate in the last election, Mallam Shehu Shekarau, said the APC was not about dismantling the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but to bring a change in governance.

“We are not talking of dismantling the PDP; we are talking about wanting change. We are not only talking about change in democracy but also change in attitude, change in conducting the business of government, change in approach and character.

“It is about changing the face of government and we are determined to change Nigeria for the better,” he added.

He explained that it was too early for APC to be talking of a presidential candidate as that would be determined once the party, which is seeking registration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is firmly rooted.

“It is too early to have a presidential candidate but we are determined to have internal democracy. Let's have the party on the ground first, then congresses will be held up to the national level.

“Anyone can contest for any position and the party supporters will decide who they want. There will be open playing field for every member of the party,” he said.
According to him, as soon as all the merging parties are through with their national conventions, a formal request will be made to INEC for APC’s registration to give room for other activities that will climax in the emergence of the party’s candidates.