October 28, 2014.
NewsRescue
By: Bashir Tabo
For almost a week now, I have been digging to find out what Gen. Buhari actually said when purchasing his presidential nomination form. Did the people’s General truly say he obtained loan from bank for his nomination form fees?
I acquainted myself with some National Newspapers to see whether they were armed with the General’s exact words to that effect. P.M. News quoted him saying: “N27m is a big sum, thankfully I have personal relationship with the manager of my bank in Kaduna and I told him very soon the forms are coming, so whether I am on red, or green or even black please honor it otherwise I may lose the nomination.”
Searching again, I found a video clip of General Muhammadu Buhari’s short speech on Channels Television Station while purchasing the nomination form at APC Secretariat in Abuja. The speech corroborated with the above quote by P.M. News.
I played the video repeatedly. I couldn’t find where the General used the word “loan”. I then concluded where the mischief was coming from – the anti-Buharists, of course. These people spend days and nights trying to find faults in every move the General makes.
Their mission apparently is to put a stain and destroy Gen. Buhari’s hard-earned reputation of patriotism, integrity, selfless service and hard work.
Again, they feel increasingly intimidated and envious of his natural cult-like followers that their looted state resources could not rent. The recent declaration by the people’s General, and TAN’s grand finale all at Eagle’s Square, Abuja bears testimony.
Again I was surprised further when our respected lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana joined the bandwagon of criticism against this imaginary and concocted ‘bank loan’ Gen. Buhari was said to have collected to settle his nomination form’s fees.
In this, I drop my voice and for the records, General Muhammad Buhari never said he collected a bank loan to purchase his APC’s presidential nomination form.
Rather he narrated how the exorbitant form fee of N27.5m scared him off to talk to his bank manager in Kaduna to be of help in whatever circumstances his bank account is- be it in red, or green or even black when the forms go on sale.
To me, the means through which the people’s General got his N27.5m was and is still not a matter of public knowledge. It remains privy only to himself and perhaps, his confidants whom he feels comfortable with.
Bashir Ibrahim Dabo
Twitter: @Bashir_dabo
