By Mumini AbdulKareem
A close ally of President Muhammadu Buhari and former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon Farouk Adamu Aliyu has said that the President would emulate his predecessor in office if he is defeated in the 2019 election by conceding defeat.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat during the 2015 presidential election and called Buhari to officially congratulate him even before the official declaration of results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The action which was historical since the country returned to democratic governance had attracted wide applause from many western countries who saluted the action of the former president.
But there have been concerns whether Buhari would be magnanimous enough to replicate the gesture if he loses the presidential election next year after criticisms that his administration is hostile to divergent views and intolerant of opposition parties especially the Peoples Democracy Party (PDP).
Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar emerged the presidential candidate of the PDP during the party’s national convention held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The president has continued to criticise the opposition PDP for mismanaging the economy and promoting wide spread corruption that had reportedly plunged the country into recession.
But speaking on an AIT television programme “Focus Nigeria” on Wednesday monitored in Ilorin, Aliyu who belong to the CPC bloc of the All Progressives Congress (APC) just like the President, said the Buhari is aware of the perception.
According to him, “President Buhari is not desperate to cling on to power. He is not desperate for power the way some people will want us to believe.
“We talk on this issue most times when we are with him and I can tell very categorically on behalf of the president that he would be the first to concede defeat if he loses the election next year. This is what he has repeatedly discussed with us that he would be the first to call his opponent and congratulate him,” he added.
