Buhari would be first to be blamed if Tinubu didn’t win election — Masari

Masari said, “Whatever someone planned in this country, God has helped President Muhammad Buhari to defend his integrity, because if we had failed in the election, he would be the first to be blamed.”

By Jeffrey Agbo

Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari has said that fingers would have been pointed at President Muhammadu Buhari if Bola Tinubu had not won the presidential election held on February 25.

He also said on Thursday in Daura during a farewell visit to the Emir of Daura, Umar Faruq-Umar, that he and some of the northern governors used foresight in backing Tinubu to succeed Buhari.

According to him, the northern governors under the All Progressives Congress (APC) supported Tinubu in order to respect the zoning formula of the party.

The difficulties in accessing cash brought about by Buhari’s naira redesign policy introduced in the build-up to the general elections, observers said, had the potential of discouraging the electorate from voting for Tinubu. But the former governor and senator won the election still.

“God had saved us from shame during the last general elections in the country where our party, the All Progressives Congress APC recorded huge successes,” the Kastina governor said.

“Anyone in this country with foresight should thank God again because had it been our party did not win the election, people may think that the Federal Government failed Nigerians.”

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Masari, who is governor of Buhari’s home state, added: “Whatever someone planned in this country, God has helped President Muhammad Buhari to defend his integrity, because if we had failed in the election, he would be the first to be blamed.

“Those with foresight have seen that, especially we the governors from the north under the APC. We have seen attempts to tarnish the image of Buhari.

“Everybody knows that all the political parties believe in zoning, but some people in our party wanted to keep that aside, but we rejected their attempt.”

According to Masari, the lack of respect for the zoning arrangement by some of the opposition parties had brought them into the current crises rocking them.

“So, if we had done such, only God would know the situation in the country at the moment. Therefore, we had to stick to our promises.

“That’s why the northerners then succeeded and earned respect for our people because once we said yes, it’s always yes,” he said.