The presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the April 16, 2011 election, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, has said that he will not be part of the government of President Goodluck Jonathan, rejecting the olive branch extended to him by the president after his Supreme Court victory on the presidential election petition.
Buhari, who spoke to LEADERSHIP in an exclusive interview yesterday, however said he would continue to make contributions to national issues, saying he had already made suggestions on what the government should do to move the country forward, adding that the next round of elections are more than three years away and there is a lot of time to decide whether to run or not.
The president, had after the Supreme Court judgment which upheld his election and dismissed that of the CPC on Wednesday, asked Buhari to join hands with him to build a united country.
Jonathan also commended Buhari for availing himself to the country’s judicial system, saying: “I urge Gen. Buhari to mobilize his supporters across the country to join in the process of national reconciliation and renaissance.”
But Buhari, who spoke through his spokesman, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, said he along with members of the CPC, “are not looking to benefit from the system. Rather, we are looking to make contributions to the system. But we cannot be part of the corruption under this government. We have told Jonathan what he needs to do. He should cut the cost of governance and create jobs.“
According to Odumakin, “Gen. Buhari is not cut out for the ‘chop chop’ going on in the government today. He is a different man and not a jobber.”
The CPC presidential candidate had also in his reaction to the verdict, expressed disappointment in the Supreme Court for ignoring crucial evidence, comparing the judgment with those that emanated from the 2003 and 2007 election which he believes were compromised.
On whether Buhari was willing to sit with President Jonathan to discuss the suggestions he had made, Odumakin said, “Well, if we get to that bridge, we will cross it. For now, he has made his suggestions known and it is left to the government to either take or reject them.”
He, however, said that there was no need for the CPC presidential candidate to sit down with Jonathan on the suggestions he has made because, “everyone understands what he has said, even primary school pupils will understand what he has said.”
Regarding the issue of whether Buhari would contest the 2015 presidential election, Odumakin said, “Well, what the General has said is that he will remain in politics and rebuild the CPC for immediate and future challenges. The task now is to rebuild the party which was started with the renewal committee.”
Odumakin added that there was no pressure on Buhari to decide his future participation in elections, saying that, “The next round of elections is three and half years away. I think that there is enough time”.