CONVENTIONSPEECH...........BRIEF REMARKS BY GENERAL MUHAMMADUBUHARI, GCFR TO THE DELEGATES OF ALLPROGRESSIVES CONGRESS, APC, DURING THENATIONAL DELEGATES CONVENTION.The National Chairman of the All ProgressivesCongressNational leaders of the APCMembers of the National Executive Council of theAPCYour Excellencies, State GovernorsDistin guished SenatorsHonourable Members of the House ofRepresentatives and AssembliesThe Chairman and Members of the ConventionCommi tteeState and Local Government Chairmen of the APCDistinguished DelegatesMembers of the PressInvited GuestsLadies and GentlemenMy Dear Delegates,As you gather for our convention, pleaseremember that history, change and the hopes ofNigeria are there with you. They are there to askyou to perform according to your best judgmentand patriotic conscience. I also ask you to do thesame.We seek a new Nigeria. It starts with us. It startstoday. I have placed myself before you seekingyour help to nominate me as your standardbearer for our progressive party, APC.Personal ambition does not drive me in thisregard. I seek to be the next president of ourbeloved nation because I believe I havesomething to offer Nigeria at this time of multiplecrises. Insecurity, corruption, and economiccollapse have brought the nation low. Time ispast due that we work together to lift Nigeria up.I am ready to lead Nigeria to its rightful future.I have always served Nigeria to the best of myability. I have always tried to give more to thenation than it has given me. This is the principleof service that has guided my public life. Thus, Iam not a rich person. I can’t give you a fistful ofdollars or naira to purchase your support. Even ifI could, I would not do so. The fate of this nationis not up for sale.What I will give you, and this nation is all of mystrength, commitment, sweat and toil in theservice of the people. What I can give you is myall.The PDP has been in power much too long for thelittle good it has done. For the past six years,Nigeria has walked backwards carrying the weightof PDP’s incompetence on its shoulders.Due to its broken leadership, Nigeria has beenafflicted by a strange illness. We are a greatnation riddled by endless crises. Instead ofresolving problems, this government multipliesand manufactures them.PDP cannot stand before us and say things havegotten better under its direction. It has onlygotten worse and it’s now time for change.PDP’s government may say that it needs moretime – that what we need now is continuity - butwe do not.What we need now is change!I know what it takes to achieve real change - Ihave led our nation before – in times almost asunhappy as these.I know that to solve our problems we need realleadership, not warm words and empty promises.A leader needs integrity and strength – and anunbending commitment to do what is right.I know that leaders must not just mouth wordsabout change – they must embody it in their livesand their values.My love for Nigeria is writ large across my heartand I have spent a lifetime in the service of itspeople.Through a long career trying to build a bettercountry for my fellow Nigerians in offices bothhigh and low I have always tried to place mycountry before myself.While some who have occupied those samepositions have grown mysteriously rich, I still liveon my army pension. I own no foreign bankaccounts, I own no companies profiting fromgovernment contracts.Why then do I seek office, if not for myself? Whileothers might prefer to stay at home watchingtheir grandchildren grow and live the battle toothers I still see injustices that need to be rightedand I still dream of a New Nigeria.I am what you see before you – a simple manwho believes in serving both God and his country.A man who is impatient for change, who lovesNigeria and seeks to serve it once again.When I last led this nation I launched a Waragainst Indiscipline – today, I pledge a Battle forHope.A battle against the dark forces of corruption anddespair that have held our nation hostage to theirgreed for too long.We simply cannot afford four more years ofPDP’s corruption and the corrosive cynicism thatit has bred.The time for hope, the time for belief, is now.You cannot trust the corrupt to end corruption.You cannot trust the selfish and self interested torule in the best interests of the people.You cannot trust those who believe hope is a toolof government rather than a human right to plantthe seed of belief.Let’s be clear. This is not a time for continuity.Failure does not deserve continuity. Incompetencedoes not deserve continuity.It deserves change; that is what the nationdeserves and that is what we will bring.Make no mistake - as is always the case forthose who seek to bring change, it will not comeeasy.And today I ask for your votes and support as Imake these five pledges to the nation:I will honestly govern Nigeria in accord with theconstitution and rule of law.I will bring all resources necessary to end povertythrough ending corruption, promoting broadly-shared economic growth, investing in our countryand creating jobs.I will tolerate no religious, regional, ethnic orgender bias.I will return Nigeria to a position of internationalrespect through active and wise foreign policy.I will select the best Nigerians for posts in mygovernment.I do not intend to rule Nigeria. I want todemocratically govern it with your help. I seek aNigeria where Christians and Muslims maypractice their faiths in peace and security; aNigeria that is just and where corruption nolonger trespasses into our institutions andnational behavior and a Nigeria where ourdiversity could be used for our nationalprosper ity.Nigeria is our home. Let us now turn it into thegreat nation we know it can and should be.I thank you allGeneral Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR
Posted on: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 10:38:22 +0000
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