Buhari accuses Nigerian elites of ‘harassing’ administration despite achievements

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Saturday, accused Nigerian elites of criticising him unjustly despite all the strides made by his administration.

Mr Buhari said this after he revalidated his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Katsina State.

The exercise was flagged off in Daura, the president’s hometown in Katsina State.

Mr Buhari was seen in the midst of other APC dignitaries and state governors, unmasked, despite the coronavirus threat, as he thanked them for boosting his morale.

He also thanked the national caretaker committee chairman of the party “for shouldering the responsibilities of the APC”.

Criticism

The president, after the exercise, accused the elites of criticising its administration “despite its efforts to revive the oil industry, among other sectors of Nigeria’s economy”.

“When we took over in the administration, production went down to about half a million barrels per day, the price collapsed. We had to do what is called a bailout, wherever we got the money from. Upon all the money from 1999 to 2014, we gave you money from the centre to pay salaries. No, Nigerian elites are not interested in rating the competence but they are interested in harassing us with all efforts we are making.

“You, who are in the field in charge of your constituencies, you have to make efforts to convince the elites to please give us the due relevance and respect we deserve that we are working so hard with limited resources,” he told members in attendance.

Commendation

Meanwhile, the president described the chairman of the committtee and governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, as “the most suitable person for the leadership position having served as the national secretary of the party for a long time before becoming governor.”

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He said “the governor knows the details of the party more than him by virtue of his long service as the secretary”.

He thanked him for contacting all members of the party and discussing its problems with them.

Mr Buhari said his objective was to ensure “the party is returned to the people at the grassroots by starting from the bottom to the top from polling unit to ward to the local government to the state and then to Abuja”.

The registration exercise, which has just been launched is expected to end with the display of registered members at all party wards and local governments from February 27 to March 1.

The APC had its last membership registration and revalidation drive before the party came to power in 2015.