President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said that his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) could have used the military and other security agencies to overrun opposition states in the 2019 general election if it wanted, but chose to be impartial in the exercise.
He said that this statesmanlike attitude was why the opposition was able to defeat the ruling party in some States at the election.
The president, who was speaking at a meeting with Northeast Governors at the presidential villa, Abuja, said the government wanted to show Nigerians that it was humane and would continue to do its best.
The Governors who were at the meeting also attended by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo include Zulum (Borno), Mai Bala Buni (Yobe), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Mohammed Yahaya (Gombe), and Darius Ishaku (Taraba).
The president, who was speaking on the insecurity in the Northeast, remarked that given what his administration inherited in 2015, Nigerians know that it had done its best.
He said: “Nigerians, we thank God, understood us and they voted for us. In 2019. We went round the whole country, saying the same thing and apologising for not doing better, but we are doing our best. I think Nigerians believe us and we did our best.
“It is true that we lost some states as a ruling party in a developing country, which is normal. I am proud of that because we are impartial. That is why as ruling party, we lost some states. That means we have our own mistakes.
“Some of those that defeated us are sitting here. We know we are a developing country but we respect our country. Otherwise, with the use of Army, the police and the rest of them, we could have overrun you.
“We just wanted to show that we are humane and we are Nigerians. We will continue to do our best.”
