Date: 2021-05-17

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mallam Saliu Mustapha, has urged Nigerians to support President Muhammadu Buhari in the fight against insurgency, kidnapping, banditry and other forms of crimes presently confronting Nigeria.

According to him, President Buhari is doing his best in the present circumstance considering the challenges bedevilling the country.

Mustapha expressed these views in Ilorin the Kwara state capital, North Central Nigeria during a media parley organised by the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kwara State council.

He urged Nigerians, especially the critics of the Buhari's administration, to exercise restraints in their comments regarding the security challenges facing the country.

The APC Chieftain who is also a contender for the office of the National Chairmanship position of the party urged Nigerians to join hands with the nation's leadership to tackle the menace of insecurity frontally to ensure meaningful development of every section of the country.

"I urge Nigerians to be patient with Buhari and cooperate with the government in its desire to put an end to insecurity in the country. We must exercise patience and restraints in our comments and criticisms. We must appreciate that those in government are people like us," Mustapha stated.

On his APC national chairmanship aspiration, Mustapha said he has all it takes to lead the ruling party successfully if given the mandate.

Noting that every politics is local, the Ilorin-born politician expressed delight that he has the support of the Kwara State governor, AbdulRahaman AbdulRazaq, in his quest to become APC national chairman even as he boasted that he was not afraid of other contenders.

"I'm not scared by the big names in the contest. I'm well prepared for the job having served as deputy national chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). I also have all it takes to win the contest and lead our great party to greater heights," he added.

Mustapha, however, canvassed a level playing field for all the contestants to ensure the emergence of the most popular candidate as the APC national chairman.

During the media parley, Mustapha was appointed a patron of the Correspondent's Chapel of the NUJ.