As the last lap of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure draws close, the President has for the first time admitted that old age is telling on him.
Buhari hand taken to an exclusive interview on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) on Thursday to make his observation, blaming part of it on the outbreak of COVID-19 and the rigours of managing the affairs of the nation.
Buttressing his claims, Buhari said the outbreak of COVID-19 greatly reduced the number of persons he receives on a daily basis at the Presidential Villa.
Buhari said he was not in a position to complain because he asked for the job of presiding over the affairs of the country.
“I think that COVID-19 came to my rescue in the sense that the number of people that need to see you can’t see you. That really gives you more time.
“Regarding my age, I see my colleagues, they are now resting and I assure you that I’m looking forward to the next 17 months when I too will have to be less busy. The age is telling on me, working now for 6, 7, 8 hours per day in the office is no joke.
“The Executive Council, memos from as many states as possible to be considered virtually every week. So, really, it is a lot of hard work but like I said, I asked for it so I cannot complain”.
Commenting on the politics, the President said the opposition can muster the strength to grab power in 2023 if the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) fail to put its house in order.
His response during the interview came on the heels of whether the APC can put its house in order before its national convention.
Buhari simply said the APC should learn from the fate that befell the PDP in the 2015 general elections.
According to him, the PDP which was then the ruling party was so arrogant and never believed that opposition parties could unite and come together to contest the presidential election.
He added that by the time the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) merged, it was too late for the PDP to realise its mistake.
His words, “Well, we have a time frame. We have to work because the four-year cycle is constitutional; it cannot be interfered by anybody. So, if the party cannot agree, then the opposition can take over”.
“What did the PDP do? They thought that the opposition cannot agree and come together. But when the ACN, ANPP, CPC, APGA came together, they were off. They are still off. So, they can see it”.
