Former Speaker House of Representatives Hon Yakubu Dogara, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts aimed at curbing vote-buying ahead of the 2023 general elections.
He spoke Friday in Yola at a Town Hall meeting organized by Atiku/Okowa campaign organization with the theme: “Overcoming the Fears of Same Faith Presidential Ticket 2023.”
“I want to specifically commend President Buhari over the initiative to curb vote buying in the forthcoming general elections.
“I am not uninformed of nor unaffected by the hardship caused by the Naira redesign and swap policy but I want to plead with Nigerians to endure it for these few weeks as a sacrifice for a free, fair and credible election.
“That just as injury has pains so also recovery has pains. But if we have to get healed, we have to endure the pain. I urge us all to trudge on in the hope that these pains may truly be the birth pangs we may endure for a New Nigeria to be born.
According to him, for those criticizing the president on the issue of timing, I want to remind them in the words of Dr King Jnr that time is eternally neutral and.
“The time is always ripe to do right.“ let me end by calling on CBN to ensure the redesigned notes are made available to our people but even if the CBN failed to do so,
“My plea to all Nigerians is to endure the pains for a few more weeks for our votes to count and for us to elect a president we truly deserve.
“Let me emphatically say that the President has the sole constitutional powers over currency matters and all those busy running their mouths because they have been denied the opportunity to deploy the ill- gotten naira they have stashed to buy votes, that they are committing treason.
He said Mr. President deserves thunderous applause. Saying that whoever writes it, history will be kind to Mr. President if he doesn’t give in or give up on his resolve to ensure a free, fair and credible democratic election no matter the cost on the 25th February, 2023 as scheduled by INEC.
Dogara reminded Nigerians of tottering on the precipice and for everyone who has ever wondered how the bottom looks like.
” No doubt these are moments of national peril! That is why we need a President who will hit the ground running from day one. If we love Nigeria, we cannot afford to foist a rookie on her as President.
“Tell me if any of the candidates comes close to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in terms of readiness to hit the ground running from day one. In case you don’t know him, let me attempt the impossible task of introducing him to you.
He said Atiku Abubakar, the Wazirin Adamawa is a statesman like no other and a father in every sense of the word and demonstrable source that gives life to everything around him.
“We need a steady hand not a hand that must always be steadied because only a steady hand can steady a volatile Nigeria.
“We need a hand on which nothing dies not the hand that spills everything that is placed on it if we do not want our collective national destiny to be spilled,” The former Speaker said