Posted by By TITUS ELEWEKE on
FORMER Head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), has urged Nigerians to pray for the success of 2007 election just as he explained why he handed over to the civilian government in 1999.
FORMER Head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), has urged Nigerians to pray for the success of 2007 election just as he explained why he handed over to the civilian government in 1999.
General Abubakar, who spoke at the Babcock University Ilishan-Remo Ogun State second Eminent persons day Award ceremony said that all Nigerians should be prayerful for the peaceful and successful election this year.
He said what the country was witnessing today in the political arena was a serious national problems where everyone wants to win election by all means.
"We are living witnesses to all the problems going on within the political setting, nobody wants to lose, everybody wants to win at all cost, but the truth is that, there must only be one winner in an election", he said.
He advised politicians to adopt the philosophy of live and let everybody live in their quest for political powers, adding that power comes from God and He is the only one that gives it.
Though, he expressed apprehension about the political situation in the country, he was still hopeful that the election would be peaceful and successful.
"We are all apprehensive about the political situation in the country, we all pray that things will go well, just as we hope that our apprehension will be disappointed", he stated.
He disclosed that he and his colleagues in the military decided to hand over power to democratically-elected civilian government when destiny placed on them the responsibility of piloting the affairs of the country to save it from break up.
He said: "We took over power in the country when every hope of having a one Nigeria was in doubt. But we fought to keep it together and not breaking it by handing over power to civilian government.
He said at that time every Nigerian was against the military government and any further stay in power would have cost great problem to the nation.
General Abubakar noted that himself and his colleagues sat down with the political class in the country and decided to do things that will be for the best interest of the nation that is handing over to the civilian government.
He also disclosed at that time military itself was divided against itself with little or no hope of the nation surviving if they had stayed longer than necessary.