“I was robbed in 2003, 2007, 2011 elections” – Buhari insists
President Muhammadu Buhari insists he was cheated on three consecutive elections in Nigeria, before finally getting the mandate in 2015.
The former military leader had lost to PDP in the 2003, 2007, and 2011 elections as he sought to be democratically elected.
His aspiration would later become a reality in 2015, when APC ended PDP’s sixteen-year rule.
On Tuesday (today), Buhari received his party nomination form to effectively kick off his campaign for a second term in office.
He said in reaction to the development: “My political journey started in 2002, when I emerged from what I like to call my second retirement. My first retirement started in 1985, in a small bungalow in Benin City. My second retirement started in 1999, when the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), which I chaired, was disbanded.
“In 2002 I joined partisan politics, with a group of like-minded people. We went to work, campaigned hard and formed a credible opposition. Nigerians voted. But when the results came out, we had lost by close to 12 million votes. The statistics did not add up.
“We came out once again in 2007 with our simple mission to CHANGE things, since it is our desire that the dividends of democracy must be felt by all, and not just a handful.
“When the 2007 election results came out, we were told we lost by over 18 million votes. This election was a national disgrace. International observers called it a “charade”, “flawed” and “illegitimate”. Even the declared winners were embarrassed by the results.
“Again, we decided to do the right thing. We went to court. And like in 2003, the Supreme Court upheld the results. This time, Nigerians were not deprived of their basic right, it was actually stolen from them right in front of their eyes in broad daylight.
“In the 2011 elections, things got a bit better compared to 2007. We only lost by 10 million votes, according to the electoral commission,” he said.
Buhari hailed the invention of the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) as a reason his mandate wasn’t scuppered in 2015.
“Whether it was by design or through divine intervention, the Permanent Voters Card (PVC), was introduced for the 2015 elections. The PVC became the saviour for Nigerians. This meant every Nigerian now had an equal voice, and brought an end to the impunity of the past,” he said.
“Finally, the people’s voices could be heard, and eventually was heard through the ballot box. Our dream for change, which started in 2002, finally became a reality.”
Buhari’s efusal to give assent to the Electoral Act Amendment bill has, however, generated controversy, as some Nigerians have alleged that he is aiming to sabotage the use of card readers in the forthcoming election.
