Babangida asked Nigerians to co-operate with the President until his tenure ends and collectively prepare the way for new generation leaders. Former Head of State, retired General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to end his tenure on May 20, 2019 with a re-election bid.In a recent statement, Babangida asked Nigerians to co-operate with the President until his tenure ends and collectively prepare the way for new generation leaders to assume the mantle of leadership of the country.”We need to cooperate with President Muhammadu Buhari to complete his term of office on May 29th, 2019 and collectively prepare the way for new generation leaders to assume the mantle of leadership of the country,” Babangida said.In a press statement by Babangida’s spokesman, by Kassim Afegbua, on Sunday, February 4, 2018, Babangida said it was time to sacrifice personal ambition for the national interest. Babangida said: “In the fullness of our present realities, we need to cooperate with President Muhammadu Buhari to complete his term of office on May 29th, 2019 and collectively prepare the way for new generation leaders to assume the mantle of leadership of the country. While offering this advice, I speak as a stakeholder, former president, concerned Nigerian and a patriot who desires to see new paradigms in our shared commitment to get this country running.ALSO READ: Obasanjo attacks Buhari, asks him to step down in 2019“While saying this also, I do not intend to deny President Buhari his inalienable right to vote and be voted for, but there comes a time in the life of a nation, when personal ambition should not override national interest. This is the time for us to reinvent the will and tap into the resourcefulness of the younger generation, stimulate their entrepreneurial initiatives and provoke a conduce environment to grow national economy both at the micro and macro levels.”“The next election in 2019 therefore presents us a unique opportunity to reinvent the will and provoke fresh leadership that would immediately begin the process of healing the wounds in the land and ensuring that the wishes and aspirations of the people are realized in building and sustaining national cohesion and consensus,” he said.Buhari has performed below expectation – ObasanjoBabangida’s statement is coming on the heels of a letter by ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo advising Buhari not to seek re-election.Obasanjo attacked President Buhari’s performance and asked him not to seek reelection in 2019 for the good of the country.The former president made his feelings about Buhari’s administration known in a 13-page statement released on Tuesday, January, 23, 2018.In the statement titled, “The Way Out: A Clarion Call for Coalition for Nigeria Movement”, Obasanjo pointed out major failings of the Buhari administration, particularly in the area of economic prosperity.He said the president has performed below the expectations of Nigerians and asked him to take a backseat in 2019 and help the nation from the sidelines while someone else takes over.
