Chief Ikeobasi Mokelu, who served as Minister of Information during the reign of ex- military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, said yesterday that he spearheaded the launch of ‘I Stand With Buhari (ISWB)’ movement because he believes in the incorruptible personality of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking to Daily Trust in Abuja, Mokelu who is the leader and convener of #IStandWithBuhari, said the movement was not about a political party but the commitment, sacrifice and leadership qualities of Buhari, saying no matter what the opposition said, the president remained the torchbearer for greater Nigeria and peaceful Africa.
He said the movement, which was launched on May 7 this year, had already inaugurated its 774 local government coordinators; who in turn have reached advanced stages in inaugurating coordinators in the over 9000 electoral wards across the 36 states of the federation and Abuja.
Chief Mokelu said the movement had also activated the ISWB 30 million signatures initiative, a development that would bring on board Nigerians from across the divide to work for the re-election bid of President Buhari.
Besides, the former minister said they had launched a programme tagged ‘Handshake Across Nigeria’ which aimed at selling the Buhari candidacy devoid of sectional, ethnic and religious sentiments.
“At the time General Muhammadu Buhari took over on May 29, the nation had sunken into the nadir of disorientation, laden with sundry failures, and with the citizens at the brink of despondency.
“The bulk of Nigerian citizens inwardly believed that the man Buhari could do it. And he set out diligently to do it. At the beginning of his tenure, meticulous and impartial observers noticed some change in the national mood – certain of a bright future on the part of the patriots – and apprehension on the part of miscreants who had all but paralysed the nation through acts of greed, perfidy, looting and unbridled lawlessness,” he said.
The ex-minister said he was confident Buhari would be returned as president next year, stressing that there were no other candidates that could challenge his credentials in the eyes of Nigerians who stood to gain from his selfless leadership style.
