A close ally of President Muhammadu Buhari,
Mohammed Lawal, who served as Deputy
Director, Coordination/Implementation of the
APC Presidential Campaign Council in 2015, has
said it would be difficult to oust a sitting
president on the pages of newspapers.

He also dismissed speculations that key people
in the APC were planning to leave for the
opposition.

According to him, “increasing criticism and
gang up will not force President Buhari out of
the contest in the event he decides to go for a
second term.”

He said many people and groups were
uncomfortable with President Buhari’s ‘pro-
masses’ approach to governance, hence were
deploying various tricks and sense of insecurity
to undermine his popularity.

In an interview with DAILY TRUST, Lawal said:
“We are in politics; we would tackle any
opposition, any group or gang up, be it a
coalition or third force or whatever.

“Now, who among the APC leaders enjoying
the comfort of government either as an
appointee or elected official could afford to go
and fish in a deep, dark, torturous and murky
waters of political uncertainty?”

“But I wish them good luck. It is just that we
are not bragging and shouting the way they
(opposition) are doing but the time would soon
come. We don’t want to distract the
government for now; we want the
government to concentrate on doing what it has been elected to do but very soon we
would devote our attention one hundred per
cent to politicking,” he said.

Lawal also accused ex-President Obasanjo of
attempting to sabotage the administration of
President Buhari.

“He is still feeling Buhari era is like late Yar’adua
era or Goodluck Jonathan era that he planted.
We would not fold our hands this time around.
We would fight back strongly. If the Federal
Government is so careful in speaking out, we
the supporters of President Buhari would not sit down and look,” he said.

“Now, who among the APC leaders enjoying
the comfort of government either as an
appointee or elected official could afford to go
and fish in a deep, dark, torturous and murky
waters of political uncertainty?”

He said many people and groups were
uncomfortable with President Buhari’s ‘pro-
masses’ approach to governance, hence were
deploying various tricks and sense of insecurity
to undermine his popularity.