President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday urged his supporters across the country to halt their current campaigns for his re-election.
He said such activities at this time could amount to jumping the gun since the Independent National Electoral Commission has timetable for the electoral process.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said this in a statement made available to journalists.
Buhari said he appreciated his supporters’ enthusiasm which he said borne out of their desire to garner support for an administration that is actuated by nothing else, other than service for motherland.
He told them that there would be ample opportunity for them to showcase his administration’s achievements and campaign for him when the time comes.
The statement read, “It has been observed that some fervent supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari have begun what may be interpreted as political campaigns in their advocacies and advertisements in the mass media.
“We appreciate their enthusiasm, borne out of desire to garner support for an administration that is actuated by nothing else, other than service for motherland, but we hereby appeal for patience, so that the game can be played according to the rules.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission has a timetable for political campaigns, and we urge committed supporters round the country (and beyond) to be mindful of such.
“There will be ample time ahead to trumpet the good works of the Buhari administration, and solicit re-election, all for the good of our country and her people.
“While a chronicle of the achievements of the administration is in order now, outright canvasing may amount to jumping the gun. We are an administration committed to due process and scrupulous respect for rules, law and order.
“We appreciate our massive supporters nationwide, and urge them to exercise restraint till the race commences officially as stipulated by law.”
Meanwhile, Nigerians are reacting to this statement.
“President Buhari and his handlers are getting signs that all is not well. Buhari’s intention was not to seek second term, but he was forced to declare for the presidency. Now that the gale of defections is starring him on the face, he might change his mind and decline his re-election bid. We are waiting for the bombshell”, said a reader named Kalu.
However, the news did go down well for this reader who identified himself as Sam, “Mr President ,we appreciate you and your uprightness, but in light of a shameless opposition parties and army of looters ,together with their crooked media houses ,subtly campaigning against your govt ,we will subtly campaign for your election in sha Allah in earnest”.
This reader, Höly Wähala has a different view all together: “Stop your security campaign of intimidation against the opposition, that is the real danger to the election holding next year at all.
“Buhari is posturing to the gullible as usual, which massive support across the country is Adesina talking about? What Nigerians have witnessed in the past 3yrs of rudderless leadership is not a chronicle of achievements but, a chronology of mass murders, 1st economic recession in 25yrs, mammoth corruption involving even the president illegally signing oil deals worth $25bn without carrying the polity along…
“what Nigeria has descended into in the last 3+yrs is unprecedented in the History of Nigeria from health to wealth, Nigerians are the worse for voting this incompetent fundamentalist into power. NEVER AGAIN! is our Jewish prayer going forward… #AnybodyButBuhari2019!”.
“Buhari just realised that his reelection bid is headed for the rocks and calamity for the country ?
“But majority of his senseless followers will not sit back and think what the man has seen that has made him come up with the stop order having himself started the campaigns over six months ago in the full knowledge he was contravening INEC regulations on campaigns at the time. Only time will tell!,” said Kamalu.