Mohammed Aminu in Sokoto
A former governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, has said President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election bid would be difficult in 2019 due to his failure to improve the living conditions of Nigerians.
Bafarawa made the assertion in an interview with Garkuwa Radio monitored in Sokoto on Sunday.
He maintained that Buhari failed to improve the nation’s economy while the security situation has worsened in the last two years.
The former governor noted that the living standard of Nigerians had worsened in the last three years with wanton killings in some parts of the country.
“As far as I am concerned, it will not be easy for Buhari to win election in 2019. He has not fulfilled the promises made to the people while their living conditions have worsened.
“In fact, had it been he met the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians, things would be easy for him and I will have no reason whatsoever to contest for the presidency,” he said.
He described the failure of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration to improve the well being of Nigerians to the inability of Buhari to listen to advice.
Bafarawa lamented that Buhari has abandoned most of his associates that assisted him in winning the presidential election in 2015.
“It is very disheartening that all those who supported Buhari to win the presidential election had been abandoned. In fact, his close associate, Malam Buba Galadima, is still in pains for being neglected by Buhari.
“I played a major role in the emergence of Buhari as the candidate of the defunct ANPP in 2003 but today we are no longer together,” he said.
The former governor insisted that he was still consulting with northern leaders on his presidential aspiration and yet to decide whether to contest or not.
“I have not decided whether to run for the presidency in 2019. Of course people have been urging me to contest but I will make my decision at the right time,” he stated.
He posited that the north was facing myriad of challenges due to lack of unity and illiteracy.
Bafarawa stressed the need for northern leaders to strive hard to unite the people and empower youths to be self-reliant.
He described his relationship with Governor Aminu Tambuwal as cordial, saying he had no reason whatsoever to criticise him.
“I have no reason to attack Tambuwal. This is someone that I supported to go to the House of Representatives when I was the governor of Sokoto.
“So, there is no reason whatsoever to fight Tambuwal but rather to support him to move the state forward,” Bafarawa stressed.
He reiterated the determination of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to wrest power from the APC in 2019.
