The Chairman, Central Working Committee of the Women and Youth Presidential Campaign Team (WYPC) for the All Progressive Congress, General Buba Marwa, has advised Nigerians and the opposition who are making allegations that the security situation in the country under President Muhammadu Buhari has degenerated to its worst state, to note that the battle against insurgency in the North East, Herdsmen in the North Central and Banditry in the North West is not a battle that can be won with a wave of the hand, like in a ninety minutes football match.
Marwa who was a former Military Governor of Borno State said in a media parley in Abuja, that “Counter-insurgency operation is not a football match that begins and ends in 90 minutes then all players and fans just go back home. First, we must acknowledge that thousands of our country men and women in uniform, are sleeping in the open, in rain and shine, fighting for us to be able to sleep in our homes”.
“Then considering the situation the government of President Muhammadu Buhari met on ground, I am saying emphatically that security has improved. Seventeen (17) local government areas including my own, Michika in Adamawa state were occupied by Boko Haram. My home was even used as a sleeping base. All have been liberated. Remember IPOB which threatened to declare a republic and were hoisting flags. Where are they today? The issue of herdsmen killings has been tackled. The same for Southern Kaduna”.
Speaking on the seeming misunderstanding between Presidential Campaign Council chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari and co-chaired by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, noted that both PCC and the WYPC chaired by Dr. Aisha Buhari, wife of the President and co-chaired by Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, wife of the Vice President, were working to complement each other.
“This is definitely, a new addition to the political lexicon in Nigeria for two presidential campaign organizations, for the same platform, to run side by side. This is innovative, imaginative and strategic and will enhance the potency of the campaign as a whole. The singular objective of the campaign is the victory and re-election of President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo for a second term on the 16th of February 2019”, he said.
Continuing he said, “I want to make it very clear that there is absolutely no conflict or clash in the functioning of both organizations-the PCC and WYPC team as we are fully coordinated and synchronized in our operations”.
“The fact that both campaign organizations are respectively headed by the President himself, for the PCC and the other by his wife is sufficient to allay fears of any conflict or competition. Both organizations remain complementary.
On the target of WYPC team, he said, “Women and youth form approximately 80 per cent of our voting population. Our aim is to target this group. Our base lies on the teeming grassroots support that President Buhari enjoys across the country, from North to South, East to West, epitomized by over 1,000 Buhari Support Organizations (BSO) and other affiliates nationwide.
When his attention was drawn to allegation that the present administration contributed to poverty in the land, general Marwa said, “Poverty is not from President Buhari. It is what he met on ground. But he is taking steps to redress this. That is why the trader-moni was introduced, the school feeding programme that is benefitting over 300,000 children, Social investment scheme of N5,000 payment to youths etc.
“Aside these laudable policies, even his critics agree that the President does not steal. Governance in Nigeria is associated with loss of integrity and the President does not steal. His integrity is intact.
He added that the WYPC team will focus on house to house campaigns, seeking the endorsement of households to vote Buhari/Osinbajo in the Presidential elections holding on the 16th of February 2019.
“We will unleash this potent and dynamic force of patriotic volunteer support and support groups across the length and breadth of this great country to canvass for the election of Buhari/Osinbajo ticket on the 16th of February 2019, like they did in 2015 and before”.
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