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| Gen. Muhammadu Buhari |
The All Progressive Congress presidential candidate Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (Retd) promised Nigerians at the party’s rally in Lagos that he would tackle the country's three greatest ills -- insecurity, inequality and corruption.
Nigeria goes for her fifth general elections since 1999 on Feb. 14, the vote will be between either Buhari of the All Progressives Congress or President Goodluck Jonathan of the ruling People's Democratic Party.
The February 14 election will be the former military ruler's fourth attempt at the presidency, but this time he enjoys much broader support than before.
As head of the military government between 1983 and 1985 he was seen as
tough on corruption and in his dealings with rebellions and armed criminals.
tough on corruption and in his dealings with rebellions and armed criminals.
The race is expected to be the most closely fought since the end of military rule in 1999, and the majority ethnic Yoruba southwestern states, which voted for Jonathan last time, are seen as crucial swing states.
Civilian rule has since been dominated by the PDP, so its loss at the ballot box would signal an unprecedented shake up of the country's fledgling democracy.
Jonathan was earlier viewed as an easy victor but the momentum has shifted to the opposition in the last few months, with Buhari drawing appeal from a mix of middle class intellectuals fed up with corruption, jobless youths, and growing numbers from all walks of life worried about insecurity.
Buhari said he would focus on increasing the number of jobs for young people at a time of high youth unemployment, and that his administration would reinvest the money saved from cracking down on corruption into revamping education.
He blamed Nigeria's lack of a national railway, airline and shipping lines and particularly the unreliable power grid on years of graft
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