2019 presidency: Buhari still remains Nigeria’s best option despite being a failure – Balarabe Musa

Balarabe Musa, former Kaduna State Governor, has observed that President Muhammadu Buhari remains the best option for Nigeria despite failing to live up to his campaign promises.

The former Kaduna State governor said there is currently no “qualitative and relevant alternative” to President Buhari and that this could lead to his victory, if he opts to seek re-election in 2019.

Speaking with Punch, Musa said, “The performance of President Muhammadu Buhari since he came on board in 2015 has fallen short of the expectations of Nigerians.

“In other words, he has been unable to fulfil promises he made before he got the votes of Nigerians. I can reasonably say without fear that his government has failed.

“Nothing stops him (Buhari) from contesting. After all, every elected public office holder in Nigeria has the right to seek a second term.

“I won’t bother myself too much thinking about that because if today Buhari decides he won’t run for a second term, do you have a better person now in Nigeria who can perform better than Buhari?

“Up to the end of the Second Republic, when (the late Chief Obafemi) Awolowo, Zik (the late Nnamdi Azikiwe), Aminu Kano and so on were there, you could say ‘if not Awolowo, Zik is competent’ and so on.

There was, at that time, a clear alternative available for Nigerians; whether you liked it or not, it was a distinctive alternative.

“But today, where is the alternative? We are now in a situation where there is no alternative or it is difficult for the alternative to emerge because this is politics and election in which ‘money power’ plays a leading role.

“So, it is not possible to find a qualitative and relevant alternative to Buhari at the moment.”