Mr. Kassim Afegbua, spokesperson for former Nigeria's military president, Ibrahim Babangida, said the bid by President Muhammadu Buhari for a second term of office is not in the best interest of Nigerians.
Afegbua said this in an interview with DailyPost on April 30.
He said, “I was a strong supporter of President Buhari until I saw that he declares for second term. I do not think very strongly that he is fair to Nigerians. Seeing that his capacity has been a matter of patching up, he needed to show leadership by supporting someone much younger, fit and capable to contest in 2019 especially when he declared that age will limit his performance.
Please there is nothing personal. I am only exercising my right as a Nigerian even though I know the president too has a right to seek re-election as a Nigerian. But there is something that is not in the constitution; that is called Integrity.
Since his handlers say the president possesses that I expected him to display it at this critical time by honourably saying I can’t fit in again.”
Afegbua added that with his current state of health, the President cannot live up to the challenges of the office: “According to him, he said his doctors told him to eat more and sleep more but Nigeria needs a president who is awake to attend to different challenges confronting us.
In fact, the hallmark of leadership is being able to take certain altruistic decisions in the life of a nation no matter how painful it will be to your personal gains. I have respect for the president that was why I was involved in 2015 criss-crossing all the 18 local governments of Edo state campaigning for him.
It is not about appointment at all. If you ask those who know me well, they will tell you I don’t lobby for positions. But I have a right to raise concerns about my country if it is not properly governed by my elected president.”
He also denied rumours that he became critical of Buhari’s administration after he lobbied to get an appointment in the government but failed.
He said, “Over my dead body for me to lobby for appointment. In all my life, i have never lobbied for appointment. What I get comes to me by providence and merit. Why would I lobby for appointment? For what?”