“Nobody imposed Buhari on Nigerians. People voted for him. Get the ticket first and when you take the ticket, let the people be happy. Where there are areas of discontent and concerns, try to take active steps to correct them so that you can give greater happiness to greater number," David-West said. "When Nigerians are happy, they will vote for you. One million Obasanjos cannot stop them. When Nigerians are happy, one million Danjuma and Babangida cannot stop them. They will vote for you. Nigerians are not fools. When you are doing well, they will vote for you.”
Professor Tam David-West, a diehard supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari and former Minister of Petroleum and Energy, says although things can change quickly in a few months, he would not, at the moment, wish for Buhari to return for a second term I office.
Speaking in an interview with The Sun, however, David-West said he would not toe the line of “professional letter writers”, such as Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida, who are telling the President outright not to seek a second term.
He noted that if Buhari can make the people happy in the coming months, a million Obasanjos or Babangidas can’t stop him from winning a second term.
“It is not true. It does not necessarily follow. Do I want Buhari to win second term? Yes and no. Yes, because I don’t associate myself with the theatricals of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida, and Theophilus Danjuma. If people think he is doing well, they will vote for him. If people think he has not done well, they won’t vote for him,” he said.
“But immediately you have people who are professional letter writers, trying to make sure, who are you to tell Buhari not to seek second term? You once sought third term. He who goes to equity must have clean hands. Obasanjo is not qualified at all to tell Buhari not to seek second term. When you were seeking third term, they wanted to change the constitution for you.
“And my answer is ‘no’ because things must improve. I know that within few months, a government can make purposeful impact. Right now, why I am saying ‘no’ is that I ask myself as a supporter of Buhari: Are the people happy? A good friend is not one who praises you, but the one who tells you the truth. There is no question that people are not happy. There is no question that the economy is not doing well. There is no question that a lot of people are suffering. So, if he wants to run for a second term, it will be on his ticket.
“Nobody imposed Buhari on Nigerians. People voted for him. Get the ticket first and when you take the ticket, let the people be happy. Where there are areas of discontent and concerns, try to take active steps to correct them so that you can give greater happiness to greater number. When Nigerians are happy, they will vote for you. One million Obasanjos cannot stop them. When Nigerians are happy, one million Danjuma and Babangida cannot stop them. They will vote for you. Nigerians are not fools. When you are doing well, they will vote for you.”