Punch: 18/12/2006
Again, Buhari emerges ANPP presidential candidate
Chiawo Nwankwo and Geoffrey Ekenna

For the second time in three years, a former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, has emerged as the presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party for the 2007 elections. He was elected on Monday by consensus.
Buhari said that with the mandate, he was sure the ANPP would win the next presidential poll if it was free and fair.
Two days of horse-trading in Abuja swung the pendulum in favour of Buhari, who had hoped on consensus to clinch the ticket. Governor Ahmed Sani of Zamfara State had appeared set to defeat other aspirants with his control of the party?s machinery but he bowed to the ANPP?s consensus.
The National Chairman of the party, Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke, had reportedly told the aspirants at several meetings that Buhari was the most credible to fly the party?s flag at the elections.
Besides, the party thought that it was strategic to pick Buhari from Katsina State, where the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Alhaji Umar Musa Yar?Adua hails from.
The other aspirants who stepped down for Buhari were Yobe State Governor, Bukka Abba-Ibrahim; Dr. Dauda Birmah; Dr. Harry Akande; and Chief Pere Ajuwa.
The party was set to conduct election between Buhari and Ajuwa as at 8pm, when Ajuwa succumbed to pressure, after others had earlier stepped down.
Governor Adamu Aliero of Kebbi State also stunned the delegates when he declared that the ANPP governors had decided to support Buhari.
The announcement led to jubilation by the delegates.
Sani who then walked to the dais, narrated how party leaders and his fellow governors had held a series of consultations with him on the need to withdraw from the contest, so that the party would only face the challenge of winning the 2007 election. "So, as a loyal party member, after due consultations, I have decided to withdraw for Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. I therefore by this announcement appeal to my supporters to vote for Gen. Buhari," he said.
Shortly after that, Governor Ibrahim Shakarau mounted the podium to announce that his elder brother, Alhaji Bashir Tofa, was stepping down for Buhari.
In his acceptance speech, Buhari said the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo owed Nigerians a duty to conduct a free and fair election in 2007.
He said, "Under a free atmosphere, we are sure to win hands-down. But I must sound a note of caution. The key to democracy is a free and fair election. If the voter registration is messed up, there will not be any election. "Up till now, newspapers are reporting that less than 10m people have registered. How can we have electronic voting, when you do not have electricity"
"We are receiving conflicting signals from the Independent National Electoral Commission. Recently, they said it has been extended to February 14. At this rate, even half of the people that are eligible to vote, would not have been registered by then. If you disenfranchise half of the people, how do you have a free and fair election"
"The House of Representatives has decided against e-voting. Our party aligns with the House.
"INEC should listen to the voice of Nigerians and revert to the 2003 voter register. We only need to update it. Nigerians have confidence that a proper election will take place.
"I am calling on INEC to conduct a free and fair election. I am calling on Nigerians to speak against election rigging. I am calling on the international community to help us stop election rigging.
"We are not seeking the mandate of Nigerians simply to rule and please ourselves. We are seeking the Nigerian peoples? mandate because we believe that we can run the government better than the current PDP government. "I want to comment that if we have power, we shall immediately take urgent steps to restore security in both homes and on the highways.
"We shall make serious efforts at restructuring the country; restoring production efficiency, social harmony, national evolution and integrity.
"We shall seriously tackle the Niger Delta problem, by doing justice to the Niger Delta people and Nigerians alike. We shall immediately tackle the problem of electricity."