This was contained in a statement issued in Enugu on Monday by the group’s Secretary, Barr. Godwin Onwusi.
He spoke while reacting to a statement credited to the Vice Presidential Candidate of the PDP, Mr Peter Obi, that “the fraud which characterised this year’s election has greatly undermined the country’s democracy, its future and has significantly damaged the ongoing fight against all vices and tainted the integrity of those responsible.”
Faulting Obi, the ZBM said “the fraud and violence are not substantial enough to vitiate the general election. We understand where His Excellency, Peter Obi is coming from, an era when as Governor in 2011, the then President Goodluck Jonathan got millions of votes in Anambra, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi and Enugu states. That era is gone, thanks to the ubiquitous Card Reader, which makes rigging at collation center cumbersome.”
While insisting that Buhari was a respecter of the rule of law going by his stand on the upcoming supplementary elections, Onwusi said, “May we ask Peter Obi, what their pillar of support, ex-president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo could have done if his main strongholds – Kano and Bauchi are threatened and hanging on the cliff-hanger of inconclusive elections?”
On how Buhari got more votes than Kano, Katsina, and Bauchi states governors if his election was free, fair and transparent, the group added “Obi should recall that Buhari has a treasure Vote-Bank of 12 million voters, which since his first outing in 2003 presidential election had surfaced, and resurfaced in 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019.
“It’s possible Obi was one of those who thought Atiku will erode the Aminu Kano tradition in the North, which Buhari not only inherited, but epitomise. It is a tradition of integrity quotient and prudence management of public finance. Atiku is deficit on this tradition and the votes reflected it.”
They added that “ZBM understanding is that Obi is one of those who failed to reason that the day His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar was rigged was when the Ohaneze Ndigbo, Afenifere, Middle Belt Forum and PANDEF of the South South, adopted Atiku as their son, hence exercised him from his kinsmen and neighbour in the North East and North West respectively. Our tradition frowns at adoption of someone’s son without permission.
“Can Obi tell Nigerians a better method of providing employment and diversifying our economy for growth, than the most ambitious and massive critical infrastructural development embarked upon by President Buhari? It is on record that Buhari has embarked on the construction of 5,000 kilometers of federal roads, 5,000 kilometers of Standard Gauge Rail lines, additional 5,000 megawatts of electricity and self sufficiency in food production. His re-election means continuity.”
The Buhari group appealed to “all those patriots and even bigots who wished to see Buhari’s back; to please come terms to the truism that the 2019 presidential election had come and gone and therefore should as a matter of urgent national importance join hands with Mr President to move the country forward.”
