The former Nigerian leader, who has contested the Presidential election on three different occasions noted that it was because of his belief in multi-party democracy that he went to court to challenge the outcome of the previous elections, adding that the nation’s electoral system will thrive better when people come and go.
He said “we have been to court three times in 2003, 2007 and 2011 not because we were convinced that we were going to win. We went because we want to make sure that this multi-party democracy takes firm grip on Nigerians.
“If we can come and go, the system will be strong enough to guarantee security for this country and guarantee prosperity for this country. This is our objective.
“All we are fighting for is to have proper democracy. What I mean is that whatever people say, whether they reflect briefly on it or not, Nigerians are now well aware of their rights and what they expect from government. In APC, we have reduced it to two your security sound management.
“We have to secure this country and manage it properly. I think people have suffered enough, they are now prepared to listen and I believe they are listening and are cooperating. We have been convinced that since 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed without a shot being fired that multi party democratic system is superior. But elections must be free and fair.
“Like I have said, we have to properly secure and manage this country. You cannot deny citizens their rights to express their own opinion or you allow some people to brazenly threaten the cooperate existence of the country and instead of inviting them and asking them to explain themselves to the nation, they are given a ride in Presidential jets.
“When others do it, you go and lock them up or you harass them. That is not the way to do things. For example, when the seven governors decided to break out from the PDP and we went and visited them; five of the governors took the risk. One of the governors still have problem with the police, his children were arrested, the bank officials that transacted business with his children were locked up.
“Those are children of governors. You can imagine what will then happen to children of ordinary Nigerians. There is this problem of insecurity in the land, both physical and material which the All Progressive Congress is about to whip out God willing.”
