Nigeria: Presidential candidates refine their political programs

We know since this weekend, the two “big” candidates who will compete in the presidential election of February 2019. Muhammadu Buhari will represent the colours of the APC. He will face Atiku Abubakar, for the PDP. In the aftermath of the congress of their political formations, the two staffs of the parties organize and clarify their program.

Muhammadu Buhari, the outgoing president, focuses on the fight against corruption. This was already the theme of his campaign in 2015. A double-edged sword, since the opposition regularly claims to be a victim of a “witch hunt”. “False” replies Festus Keyamo, one of Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign spokesmen: “For 16 years, there has not been a single conviction following a trial. These procedures take time. It takes at least three years, between the initiation of an investigation and the holding of a trial. We have made great progress compared to previous teams. For example, the former governor of the state of Taraba found guilty of fraud; or the conviction for corruption against the former governor of the Plateau State”.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, for his part, has a priority: introduce discipline in the private sector and revive the economy. As Segun Showinmi explains, his campaign spokesperson: “Our priority is job creation. Second, we want to open up the economy so that private sector companies can play a crucial role in Nigeria. We have the manpower. The market is vast… All the ingredients are there for an entrepreneur who has business acumen to make his company work. We want to create an environment conducive to private sector investment.”

Atiku Abubakar is a businessman who made his fortune in real estate, oil and import-export. To his detractors who routinely question the lawful origin of his heritage, the former vice president reminds that he is one of the initiators of the EFCC, the Commission to investigate economic crimes.