Alhaji Buba Galadima, the National Chairman of Reformed-All Progressives Congress (R-APC), has revealed what he went through because of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Galadima, Buhari’s very close associate, who spoke during an AIT programme on Saturday, said he was locked up 38 times and rejected ministerial appointments five times because of the President.
Stressing that he has more integrity than any other Nigerian, Galadima described members of Buhari’s kitchen cabinet as charlatans and outsiders.
He said, “I don’t have problem with Buhari. I assisted him since 2002 January. I made contributions more than even himself in becoming the President. No Nigerian made such sacrifices.
“I should tell the world that because of him (Buhari), I have suffered intimidation, arrests, questioning, locked up 38 times. Not only that. I was detained and tried for treason, put underground dungeon, chained in the legs because of him.
“All these people that are around him now were the people that were fighting us. I know the people that I am talking about. They were receiving money from the government of the time, conducting fake research, using their positions as members of trade union to say that the elections were fair, and today, they are Buhari’s people.
“I have made input than those in Buhari’s kitchen cabinet. I have been with him when these charlatans around were fighting us because of him. Where were all these fair weather friends?
“He never gave us anything when we made all the sacrifices, used our cash to campaign, sell our properties to send our children to school, feed ourselves. Where were they?”
On his relationship with Buhari after the 2015 election, Galadima disclosed that shortly after the election, the President conducted a world press conference to deny him.
He said: “Mr. President did a world press conference to say that he does not need my vote, the votes of my supporters, my family, those who interact with me. He didn’t mention any specific reason.
“I dare say that I am more honest. I have more integrity. I am second to nobody in this country. I made sacrifice to bring about the formation of the party. I can’t watch or sit idly to see that happen.
“The nPDP, which was the issue then, complained of being marginalised, so also my CPC. We were also marginalised. We brought in 3.5 million votes into this merger. But, we didn’t get anything, even cabinet appointment.
“Most of the grudges from the people border on governance and not on party. He’s supposed to be the party leader, maybe, he does not understand.”
Galadima explained that when the issues in the party were brought to President Buhari, instead of addressing them, he referred them to the Vice President, just to avoid responsibility.
He added: “This is the same President that even when court of law granted bail to people, he had the courage to say: How can somebody stole money and I release him? That is overbearing influence on the institution of government.”
On how he was involved with Buhari, the R-APC Chairman said, “When we were with him, offers were made to me five times to become minister. But because of my integrity and honesty and because I know that those making the offer only wanted to collapse our structure, I rejected them.
“I would have been a very, very happy man if the promises we made to Nigerians are fulfilled to the letter. Which one have we fulfilled?”
Galadima observed that the so-called fight against corruption was a misnomer, saying that rather than fight, the right would have been for the government to put firm structures to prevent corruption.
