Nigeria's main opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari on Friday told AFP he was expecting to win next week's presidential election by a wide margin, despite talk of a close race
The February 14 poll, in which he is challenging incumbent Goodluck Jonathan, has been seen as too close to call, leading to a possible run-off if neither man secures a first-round majority.
But Buhari, 72, dismissed the suggestion of a tight race, saying in an interview: "What's their reason for 'too close to call'? What is their speculation on? I'm expecting a landslide victory."

The former army general, who led a military government for 20 months after seizing power in December 1983, has stood unsuccessfully for the presidency three times in the last 16 years

On each occasion (2003, 2007, 2011), he alleged electoral foul-play.

But asked if he would accept defeat this time around, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate stated: "I'm not going to lose. So, I won't answer that question."
Nigeria's main opposition is considered as having its best chance yet of ending the Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) unbroken run in power since the country returned to civilian rule in 1999.

Buhari, who was noted for his hardline approach to indiscipline and corruption during his time in power, has been touted as the answer to Nigeria's lengthy list of problems.
The PDP has sought to portray Buhari as yesterday's man with dangerous, outdated ideas but he asserted that Africa's most populous nation and leading economy was ready for change.

"I have visited 34 states so far. In each of the states there are three things that are consistent, that are fundamental issues to this country -- insecurity, the destruction of the economy and corruption," he said.

"Every Nigerian is feeling worried."

-- No iron fist? --

Buhari rejected claims from the ruling party that he would rule again with an iron fist, saying the circumstances under a military regime were different from a civilian administration.

Multi-party democracy and the three tiers of government, enshrined in the constitution, had to be respected, with consequences for anyone acting outside the system, he said.
The APC has portrayed President Jonathan as weak on security and of being unable -- some say unwilling -- to end the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast.

Some soldiers have complained that they lack the weapons and even bullets to fight the better-armed militants, despite defence spending accounting for some 20 percent of the federal budget.

Buhari said that if elected, his administration would "empower the law enforcement agencies to be much more efficient".

"The first thing we will do is to make sure there is efficient utilisation of resources. If money is voted for equipment and training, that money will go to equipment and training," he added.

The APC has claimed that Jonathan has failed to tackle endemic graft and Buhari said corruption was practically "a culture" in the country.

"I believe the most serious thing to do is to draw a line, that you intend to move forward," he said but added that investigating every allegation of corruption would be a hindrance to progress.

"From the day we are sworn in as a government, anybody who abuses trust will be called to account," he added.

source: Yahoo

Seven days to go

"I'm not going to lose. So, I won't answer that question."

"I have visited 34 states so far. In each of the states there are three things that are consistent, that are fundamental issues to this country -- insecurity, the destruction of the economy and corruption," he said.

"Every Nigerian is feeling worried."

-- No iron fist? --

"The first thing we will do is to make sure there is efficient utilisation of resources. If money is voted for equipment and training, that money will go to equipment and training," he added.


"I believe the most serious thing to do is to draw a line, that you intend to move forward,"

"From the day we are sworn in as a government, anybody who abuses trust will be called to account," he added.

God will choose

My Incoming President has said it all. "I will not lose. So, I won't answer that question." Sir, your Victory is glaring. It's now audible to the deaf, visible to the blind and vocal to the dumb that you would be sworn in come May 29th!

I wonder why posts like this don't make FP, whereas one video with unkown ppl tagged as APC touts thumbprinting ballot papers makes FP

Well, if he quits issuing statements he may win....

He lost good amount of "undecided" voters when he criticised the Multinational Joint Military Task Force against boko-haram. Calling for help from neighboring countries is the right steps in tackling insurgency; it's not a sign of "disgrace to nigeria".

Well...may the will of the people of Nigeria prevail.....

"I am not going to lose" this man has started displaying the level of confidence his secondary school principal displayed in 1961-"Buhari will pass" which he clearly didn't pass. Wait for us the electorates at election day, because we will clear your doubts.

"UNREALIZED EXPECTAIONS MAKETH THE HEART SICK" Don't expect so much buhari.

Zuria:
Well, if he quits issuing statements he may win....

He lost good amount of "undecided" voters when he criticised the Multinational Joint Military Task Force against boko-haram. Calling for help from neighboring countries is the right steps in tackling insurgency; it's not a sign of "disgrace to nigeria".

Well...may the will of the people of Nigeria prevail.....

you mean with our military might and long history of restoring peace in other nations, it is not a disgrace for us to wait for chad, Niger, Cameroon etc to join us to fight insurgency on our land? Gadamit! Ok, the soul aim of this whole war is to make Nigeria or the military look weak before it's neighbours and that is begining to happen. If you go back again and read, u'd discover that our offense was stepping our foot on a land deemed to be America's colony(Liberia) , and making our neighbors run to us first in times of crisis in their countries before thinking of going to the so called ''policeman of the world(US)" and we're paying for that today- Nigeria is the reason her west African neighbours don't look up to America in terms of peacekeeping. That influence is what the external forces are trying to diffuse and they have achieved that.

We fought civil war without the support of our neighbours, we fought maitatsine without the support of our neighbours and you think it not a disgrace to fight a rag-tag boko haram with support from our neighbors who once see us as alphamale of everything strength in africa?




Indeed, there was a country.

fiverrwin:
God will choose

BUHARI didn't say it is the devil/satan that's going to choose him- he also looks up to God. God is for all of us!

Caseless:
you mean with our military might and long history of restoring peace in other nations, it is not a disgrace for us to wait for chad, Niger, Cameroon etc to join us to fight insurgency on our land? Gadamit! Ok, the soul aim of this whole war is to make Nigeria or the military look weak before it's neighbours and that is begining to happen. If you go back again and read, u'd discover that our offense was stepping our foot on a land deemed to be America's colony(Liberia) , and making our neighbors run to us first in times of crisis in their countries before thinking of going to the so called ''policeman of the world(US)" and we're paying for that today- Nigeria is the reason her west African neighbours don't look up to America in terms of peacekeeping. That influence is what the external forces are trying to diffuse and they have achieved that.

We fought civil war without the support of our neighbours, we fought maitatsine without the support of our neighbours and you think it not a disgrace to fight a rag-tag boko haram with support from our neighbors who once see us as alphamale of everything strength in africa?




Indeed, there was a country.

This is not civil war...this war is at border towns....you need your neighbors to win the war. Even GMB had acknowledge this fact as part of his security strategy.

What is important is that we win this war sentiments aside as this war affects our collective interest as a nation.

Also remember that the undecided-voters are the real determinants of this election.