Exclusive Interviews: Don’t Wish Me Good Luck – Atiku; I’m Not Fundamentalist – Buhari

 Muhammadu Buhari

     The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), spoke weekend about his religious feelings and and how they are connected with his political behaviour.

In an exclusive interview with Thisday, Buhari once again refuted insinuations that he is a religious fundamentalist. Another exclusive talk was held with Atiku Abubakar.

Buhari

The former Head of State, who is believed to be one of the key opposition figures in the 2015 elections, insisted that his general orientation had never indicated a proclivity for religious intolerance or religious obsession.

“I cannot disown my religion because of the accusations. People I worked with for more than twenty years and I rose from Second Lieutenant to General. All the commands and staff that I worked with along the line, most of my associates were Christians. For example, when I moved into Maiduguri to clear the Chadians, my number two man then was Ugwoke, a Christian.”

The politician expressed surprise over the persisting reference to him as to the fundamentalist. In October interview he also debunked the claims saying:

“In 2003, I chose Chuba Okadigbo as my running mate. He was a Roman Catholic. He was an Igbo. In 2007, I picked Edwin Ume-Ezeoke. He was a Roman Catholic. He was an Igbo. And in 2010, I chose even a pastor. Tunde Bakare. Honestly, what do Nigerians want me to do? If they don’t believe I’m not a fundamentalist, what else can I do?”

He reinstated the idea speaking this weekend as the APC candidate repeated his comment:

“In 2007, I picked Chief Umeh-Ezeoke, he was an Igbo and a Roman Catholic. Again, we were rigged out. In 2011, I picked Tunde Bakare, a pastor. So how more Christian do you want me to go in picking a running mate? I never picked a Muslim as a running mate?”

Regarding the issue of corruption, Buhari said he had been tough in his approach while being the Head of State and added that he would not tolerate corruption in office.

Atiku

Atiku Abubakar

The former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, also spoke exclusively with the edition. He touched upon the security issue in the North-East and favoured the idea of setting up of local militia to fight Boko Haram.
“After all, when the US realised that they couldn’t win the war in Iraq, they also resorted to using local militia help them fight their enemies in Iraq and it is still working.”
The APC presidential candidate also urged Nigerians not to wish him good luck, but success.
Atiku believes that the opposition party is ready to bring positive change to the country in the upcoming elections.
“I believe the APC offers a better and well articulated direction of where Nigeria should be heading to. The PDP is in shambles as well as their manifesto and what they want to do really. So I believe Nigerians have got the opportunity to vote for change and I have always looked forward to a two-party system for this country.”