Buhari ‘Scared’ PDP Might Outspend APC In 2019 Election

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed fears that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) might outspend the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 general elections.

This, President Buhari said, is because members of the PDP are ‘‘sitting on incredible resources’’ that may be difficult for members of his own party to match.

The president raised the concerns on Friday while receiving members of the Buhari Support Organisation at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

President Buhari equally described as a “herculean task”, efforts by members of the support group to keep defending him against attacks by his opponents.

“I don’t think I can thank you enough for your steadfastness under very difficult circumstances. It is not easy to defend this administration and more in particular to defend me. But your consistency has given me a lot of confidence. And I know you are doing it as a sacrifice both physical, mental and material,’’ Buhari told the support group.

“Because, as I keep on saying, the opposition now is sitting on incredible resources which I am afraid we might not match it at all. For that reason the opposition is sponsoring mischief from different angles which in spite of the incumbency of government we cannot absolutely stop. It is you that are fighting it and I cannot thank you enough for that.

“Most of the people I jailed had given back all what they have taken before I was jailed. I spent 18 months in detention and luckily they did not find anything against me and I was released.

“But my problem was that there was a journalist from Edo State, I have forgotten his name now, he wrote that my mother had to die to save me. Because I was only released when my mother died to go and bury her, of course you know according to the Muslim tradition you are buried where you die.

“So I can remember most of you here sitting, the sacrifices you have made in terms of materialism even losing friends to continue to support me. I have been here for three years, you have proven to people that you are not here for material things, your opinion is out of sacrifice and the strength of the moral courage you have is the the strength of the physical, it is the strength of losing the friends you have.

“I am sure you are being asked, this support you are busy giving Buhari what the hell do you get out of it? And that is why I commend your steadfastness and I am very grateful for it. And in this country whether people like it or not, they will remain grateful for your courage because you have the courage to do the research, take your time to reply mischievous representation and we are very grateful,” said the president.

Responding, Chairman of the support group, Austin Braimoh, assured the president of the group’s commitment to continue to protect his image in the media.