Patience Jonathan; Aishat Buhari
AISHAT Buhari, wife of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has told President Goodluck Jonathan’s wife, Patience, not to have the fear of going to jail if Buhari emerged winner in the forthcoming March 28 presidential poll.
The APC presidential candidate’s wife, who said the country had long suffered bad governance, said her husband would not have time to witchhunt anybody.
Aishat, who spoke on Thursday in Edo, the Benin State capital, where she interacted with women in the state, was reacting to statements credited to Patience that Buhari would jail women if elected as President.
“For those that are campaigning, saying that he (Buhari) is coming to jail Nigerians, I don’t know what their fear is.
“But they shouldn’t be afraid because we are all yearning for change.
“The insecurity in the country, the very poor healthcare system, lack of education and other basic necessities that people are lacking, I believe Nigerians need somebody like General Muhammadu Buhari now.
“Already, they have painted him black, using religion.
“I’m happy today that Nigerians realise that they use religion as a cover to loot Nigeria,” Aishat said.
She added, “In each zone of the country, we have peculiar problems; our problems differ. For me, in this zone, girl-child trafficking should be considered (as) one of our problems, though I know that there is unemployment. Unemployment is a major factor that contributes to brain-drain and also the girl-child trafficking.
“Buhari is a leader. He was a leader; he led Nigeria some decades ago and he is coming back now to sanitise the system.”
While urging women to uphold and not sell their Permanent Voter Cards but to use them to vote for a new Nigeria, she however assured the people that her husband’s administration would uphold the development of the girl-child, if elected.
“I am here today to say that when my husband is elected into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, all these are going to be history. The insecurity, girl-child trafficking, suffering of the widows in the South-East will; all of them will come to an end.”
There must be a cultural design to accommodate the widows; a design that will make the girl-child to be comfortable wherever she is in this country.
“The collection of PVCs is also important. Don’t ever sell it; it is like selling your future again. When you sell it for N5, 000, you won’t see N5, 000 till after four years, which is too bad for you. Get your PVC, vote for the APC. Vote for freedom, good education, good healthcare, good road and all the basic necessities should be given to you. Thank you, so much for waiting in the sun for hours to see me; I love you all,” Mrs. Buhari said.
Also speaking, Governor Oshiomhole stressed that the party desired to deliver quality development and achieve success in the various sectors of the country, especially in the area education and job creation, as it had done in the state. He noted that the party was known for “workable projects” rather than “symbolic projects.”
RAMON OLADIMEJI AND ALEXANDER OKERE
