…Says Buhari has tried, but…
A presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mazi Samuel Iheanyichukwu Ohuabunwa, has bombed former vice-president Atiku Abubakar who has asked Nigerians to help him achieve his lifetime ambition of becoming the country’s next president, come 2023.
Mazi Ohuabunwa, in an exclusive interview with Blueprint Weekend, said as far as he was concerned, the Turakin Adamawa’s time had come and gone.
When asked if he stood any chance of getting the PDP ticket ahead of the more established aspirants like the former vice-president, he said “I stand a very high chance.”
He said, “Do you know why? Two things first; there’s a man for the season. Every season has a man that he chooses. Secondly, Nigeria is looking for a change. They are tired of the kind of old men we are talking about. They know them. They have held some political offices. And they have seen the amount of change or evolution or development brought and Nigeria is not ready for incremental improvement. They want a wholesome transformation of the nation. And I haven’t seen any of them or Nigerians haven’t seen any of these men who meet that expectation.
“Secondly, Nigerians want something new. They are looking forward to seeing new faces, new ideas, and new thoughts because they have seen the best of them, the likes and who can know how to yell and shout on the radio, on television, and in the streets.
“The advantage I have is that I am on one side. All of them are on one side, but on my side we are very few. So, Nigerians and I believe they will not bring anything new because we have seen this recycling of the same political people. Many are good, but you know when better things come, good things give way. I think my coming presents that better thing. So, good things will give way because Nigeria wants a transformation.
“I’m not worried or scared about the likes of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and others who want the PDP ticket. Atiku is a very wonderful politician, but his time has come and gone. That’s my reading. There is a man for every season. My people say that the cock does not crow all night. The masquerade dances and leaves the stage for others. Nigerians are looking for something new, something fresh – somebody who can fix the economy; somebody who can unite the nation and a man that has courage.”
Also, barring his mind on the performance of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, especially as it relates to the economy, he said Nigerians were told by the president that the APC government was coming to do three things – economy, security, and fight corruption.
“Go and check our corruption perception index; have we improved? Check security; has security improved? The economy, the poverty level we were in 2015 is not the one we are now. The 53% unemployment youth population is not what it was in 2015.
“So, how do we measure performance? It is to measure results. One day the president impressed me when he said ‘when it comes to security we have done our best, but it looks like our best is not good enough.’ So, use their performance to measure the result. President Buhari has tried, but…” (Read more on this on Page 5)
