Biafra: Respect your old age – BNYL warns Lai Mohammed over comments on IPOB

AFTER several speculations, President Muhammadu Buhari has finally announced his willingness to seek re-election in 2019. The president had on Tuesday night explained the reason behind having the Governors of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, and that of Bauchi State, Mohammed Abubakar, to be present when he (Buhari) addresses the Nigerian Community in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. He specifically said the presence of the two governors during his interactive session with the Nigerian community will be another vote for him when the time comes. The president is in Abidjan for the fifth European Union-African Union, EU-AU, Summit and was accompanied by the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, who was instrumental to Buhari’s emergence in 2015 after three unsuccessful attempts to become a civilian president. While apologizing for keeping some members of the Nigerian community in Abidjan who had come for the interactive session waiting, President Buhari explained that he insisted on having Governors Emmanuel and Abubakar present so that Nigerians in Côte d’Ivoire from the two states will be happy that he was accompanied by their governors and that might earn him votes in the future. “First, I want to apologize for keeping you for too long this is because I insisted on the governors attending this meeting. This is why I came along with them so that when we are going to meet you, when you are going to meet the rest of Nigerians if you tell them that their governors were in the accompany of the president, I think that will be another vote for me in the future. I am very pleased that they were able to turn up.” This subtle way of announcing his intentions to contest in the 2019 election attracted laughter and accolades. Buhari also said his support for the President, African Development Bank, AfDB, Akinwumi Adesina,
despite serving as a minister in a PDP-led government was to confirm his remarks at his inauguration on May 29, 2015, that he belongs to everybody and nobody in particular. The president was reacting to Adesina’s gratitude to his administration for supporting him to get the job, making him to become the first Nigerian to head the continental bank since it was set up in 1964. “The president of the African Development Bank who forgot to mention that he was serving in the PDP government as minister, but all the same I picked him and recommended him. I think it emphasized what I said during my swearing in that I am for everybody, I am for nobody. As long as you are a Nigerian, be prepared to be on the receiving end from me.” President Buhari also thanked the national leader of the APC for bringing him a beautiful piece of information which he was not aware of until now. Buhari, however, did not disclose what piece of information it was but promised to discuss it in detail with Tinubu. According to him, “I also thank our leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He has brought me a very beautiful piece of information which I was not aware of it until I sat down and read it this evening (Tuesday night). Thank you very much for your hard work and I will discuss that paper with you.” Adesina, in his remarks, noted that the economy picked up soon after the president’s health, adding that “so it seems there is a correlation between the president’s health and the improved economy.“ On security, Adesina said the bank has released $250 million for the construction and rehabilitation of the North-East which was destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents. He also said that the AfDB has constructed a big building behind the Yar’Adua Centre. He said it is the first of such building by the AfDB outside its Abidjan headquarters which he will want President Buhari to commission. “I want to thank you immensely. I want to thank God for your health because I must say that for all of us that has been a big concern. But seeing you fit as a fiddle and seeing you back in action, we thank God for that and may God continue to give you ay God continue to give you great strength. “Mr. President as you must have noticed, there is a very strong correlation between your health and the economy and when you came back the economy picked up after that. So we wish you great health so that the economy can continue to pick up. “I also want to congratulate you for the economic growth and recovery plan that you have put in place and the incredible plan that you have put in place to bring the economy out of recession and also in terms of the fact that Nigeria has moved up in the World Bank ease of doing business index. “Is to your leadership, vision and commitment that we want to from, the African Development Bank, commend you Mr. President and to assure you of our strong support to try and move Nigeria forward. We are solidly behind you, you can count on that.