James Awano, Abuja
Some retired military officers in the three armed forces including Army, Navy and Air Force, have endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari for second term.
This is coming as the Presidential elections is about twelve days away.
Those that gave the endorsement on Monday included 13 major generals, eight Air Vice Marshal (AVM), two Rear Admirals, 12 Brigadier Generals, nine Air commodores, eight Commodores and 17 former military administrators.
They were led by former military administrator of Lagos State, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (rted).
Also among the delegation are former President Goodluck Jonathan’s minister of police affairs, Navy Capt Caleb Olubolade, and former Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Jubril Ayinla.
Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Marwa said that what informed the endorsement was the observations and the fulfillment of all Buhari’s promises.
He said: “As an officer and a gentleman, his word is his bond. After winning the elections, he brought out simple three-points programme – security, economy and fighting corruption. He led the fight and is leading the fight by personal example, that is the height of leadership. Do as as I do not as a say, he has demonstrated that.
“On security, I have touched on the advances made the period before and when he took over from 2015 till date. I put the question, the bombings that use to go on in this FCT, Kaduna and so on, where is it today?
“The herdsmen crisis up and about, the hues and cries, where is it today? Where is IPOB today? The Boko Haram are not flying their flags like they did before. They were in my local government for eight months, actually they even lived in my house believe it or not but they have been chased off and now they are just in the fringes of Lake Chad. Things are better.
“You look at the infrastructure it is the same thing, things are happening everywhere, highways are coming up, there is no state of the federation that there is no work going on, the railways the same thing.
“So the long and short of it is that when you demonstrate what you say you will do and you are from our own constituency, we must stand up and be counted. And therefore, the retired military officers today with former military governors, retired military officers from the ranks of brigadier general and their equivalents from other officers are here today, to tell him and to tell Nigerians that we are fully behind him in the elections next week and we will do whatever we can within the law to see that he is victorious in the elections.” he said
On whether the endorsement was out of fear, Marwa said, “Absolutely not. Every human being is political, we maybe non-partisan, we all want a good country for ourselves, our children and grand children and even for those yet unborn.
“Look at the drug abuse thing for instance, he was the first president that launched a war against drug abuse in Nigeria through the committees, one of which I chair.
“Unless you have compassion, you will overlook the matter of drugs and think that these are the dregs of the society. But he did.
“Look at the Biafran Policemen who left the Nigerian police before the war, he remembered them. Airways workers, he remembered them.
“His first concern when he took over was not the huge projects but for the civil and public servants to be paid. He even said it on one occasion and I heard it clearly, that he wonders how governors sleep with workers not paid and suffering. And now, the national minimum wage, he has approved it.
“And you can go down to what he is doing for the masses. Have you seen the Vice President in Nigeria enter the markets to give succour of N5,000, N10,000, we have never seen until this time.
“So, it is because he has performed. If he did not perform you will not see us here.” he said
Asked how far the group is willing to support President Buhari’s re-election bid, he said, “Some of us our politicians already and belong to political parties. I am already in the APC and I’m fact chairman of the central working committee of the Women and Youth Presidential Campaign Team.
“But people like Admiral Ayinla who said they are not partisan but they know what is good and so they will work for his success.” he said
Advising Nigerians ahead of the elections, Marwa said, “Peaceful elections is what we call for. Allow process to run, allow the people to elect their own leader. There should be no ‘mago mago’ and all those fake things that use to happen. Happily, we have the machine that will make sure that nobody who does not vote matters than somebody that voted.
“We ask Nigerians to come out in their numbers and vote for your candidate peacefully and after that protect your vote by remaining present until it is counted and announced before you go home.” he said
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