The Governor of Sokoto State and a former presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Aminu Tambuwal, has said President Muhammadu Buhari is not in charge of the country.
Tambuwal, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, said this on Monday in Abuja when the Peace and Reconciliation Committee of the PDP paid him a visit in his residence, adding that the President was running the country by proxy.
He said it would be suicidal to allow Buhari to preside over Nigeria for another four years.
He said he was not angry about his loss of the party’s presidential ticket to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, adding that he would work with the national leadership of the PDP towards ensuring that the party emerges victorious in the 2019 presidential election.
Tambuwal said: “I want to reassure you, our party men and women and Nigerians that I am committed to the success and victory of our party at the general elections, come February 2019.
“We have had a robust and fruitful engagement on the way forward and I have made my commitment immediately after the convention that I am going to support our candidate, Wazirin Adamawa, Atiku Abubakar, 100 per cent for us to have a victory at the general elections.
“So, I am not wavering, I am not looking back.
“Work has started for us to ensure that the PDP family remains united and other lovers of democracy come and partner with us for us to ensure that we convincingly win the election.
“The maladministration and the way the country is being run through proxies is unacceptable.
“President Buhari is not in charge.
“It will be suicidal for him to return to power for another four years.
“So, we don’t want a situation whereby that will continue anytime after May 29, 2019.
“We want a government in which the President of Nigeria will be right on top of issues.
“One that will respect the rule of law.
“So, I have given my commitment and I mean it, I am out for it.
“By the grace of God, we shall support Atiku Abubakar and the PDP to win elections throughout Nigeria.”
The Chairman of the PDP Committee on Peace and Reconciliation and Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, hailed Tambuwal and other presidential aspirants for their understanding and spirit of sportsmanship in the last national convention of the party.
Dickson specifically commended Tambuwal for “displaying maturity and a spirit of sportsmanship after the Port Harcourt Convention, which was won by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.”
The governor said the visit was part of the decision of the PDP to interact with all presidential aspirants of the party in the last election with a view to encouraging them as leaders of the party in their own rights.
He said the party had commenced a series of consultative talks with aspirants and leaders of the party in a bid to win the presidential election in 2019.
Dickson said: “I am leading a team of the committee of governors to interact and compare notes with our brother, His Excellency, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State.
“As you all know, he ran a great race and we are all proud of what he did and what he continues to do.
“We appreciate his statesmanship.
“We appreciate the way and manner he has been of help to the party, consolidating the gains that the party is making.
“This afternoon, as part of our decision to go round, visit, encourage and interact with all our party leaders, especially all those who indicated interest in the last presidential elections, we have held a fruitful meeting.
“We are actually starting from here and would be leaving from here to visit our former national caretaker chairman and also hold similar consultative meetings with him.
“This is just the beginning of several interactions formally and informally that we are going to have with him and with several other leaders of our party.
“As you all know, he is a very key player in the unfolding political scenario and we are all committed to reclaiming our country and building a new Nigeria.”