Nigeria Will Be Better When Citizens Are Allowed To Elect Their Leaders – Buhari

                                   Muhammed Buhari

National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC and former Head of State Gen. Muhammadu Buhari has stated that Nigeria will get it right when citizens are allowed to choose leaders of their choice.

The politician noted that lack of freedom of choice and openness in governance led to the disintegration of the Soviet Union.

He further stressed that democracy thrived better in a multi-party system.

The APC leader spoke yesterday in Lagos when he visited the family of Mr. Dimgba Igwe, a renowned journalist and Associate Publisher of Entertainment Express Newspaper.

He was killed by a hit-and -run driver on September 6 while jogging around Okota area of Lagos.

Gen. Buhari described the late Igwe as a patriotic Nigerian, who stood for the truth all the time.

He told the widow: “Your husband left a legacy of patriotism and courage. May God give you the courage to bear the irreparable loss.”

In the condolence register, Gen. Buhari wrote: “Nigeria has lost one of its finest citizens. May God Almighty give the family the patience to bear the loss.”

Responding, Dimgba’s twin brother, Mr. Mike Awoyinfa, said in an emotion-laden voice: “It is sad my friend is gone. For four hours after he was knocked down, he was taken from one hospital to the other. They refused to admit him because they lacked the facilities that could save him. By the time he was taken to the hospital where he was admitted, he could hardly breathe and by the time he was taken to the theatre, Dimgba had given up.

“On behalf of the family, I welcome you (Gen. Buhari) with mixed emotion and sadness for obvious reasons. I am glad you are here today. The Gen. Buhari we know is a great man, a compassionate and forthright leader. If you believe in a cause, you will fight it to the end. You are Dimgba’s hero. He was your behind-the-scene campaigner. He kept telling people to vote for you. He even campaigned for you in his church despite that you are a Muslim.”

Gen. Buhari has said the late Brig.-Gen. Benjamin Adekunle fought to keep the country united.

Buhari, who also visited the home of the late Civil War hero yesterday, said it took the gallantry and courage of Adekunle to achieve a modern Nigeria.

Said he: “His colleagues were the late Gen. Murtala Muhammed and the late Gen. Mohammed Shuwa. Shuwa was commanding the 1st Division, Murtala 2nd Division and Adekunle commanded 3rd Marine Commando during and after the civil war. They made great sacrifice to keep the country one.

“We have not faced a much national upheaval as we did during the civil war and I hope it will not repeat itself.”

Buhari said the challenges posed by insecurity were surmountable, adding that the armed forces were up to the task.

His words: “The security challenges we are passing through are not in the military leadership, but political leadership. The late Ahmadu Bello spent more than 40 per cent on education, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo spent more than 55 per cent on education. Now how much is government spending on education?”, he queried.