2019 Presidency: Buhari Becomes First to Pick APC Nomination Form *President's loyalists pay for him

Ahead of the 2019 general election, President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday become the first to obtain the All Progressives Congress (APC) nomination form.

A group under aegis of the Nigeria Consolidation Ambassador Network (NCAN) was said to have purchased the Expression of Interest and nomination forms for President Buhari.

The presidential nomination form costs N40 million while the Expression of Interest form is N5 million.

With the group's purchase of the form, Buhari has become the first to obtain the ruling party's presidential nomination form.

The group was specially received by the APC's National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, who led other National Working Committee (NWC) members to present the form to them.

Speaking on why the group decided to purchase the forms on behalf of the president, NCAN National Coordinator, Sunnsi Musa, said the President Buhari is not a multi-millionaire in cash,  "but he has millions of supporters who are always ready to come together to pay for his nomination form."

According Musa, the group embarked on the project based on the recognition that the president has started laying a good foundation for a better Nigeria, and there is need to consolidate on the gains so far made.

"We have no doubt that the president has laid a foundation for greater and prosperous country that our generation and future generation will be proud of. “Under his administration, Nigeria has become a country sought after for investments in the world; Nigeria has assumed its leadership role in not just Africa, but the world.

"Today, Nigeria‘s moribund infrastructure is being revived. There is no state in Nigeria that does not have several major federal government infrastructure project either completed or being executed by President Buhari,” he said.

Musa said Nigeria now has a stable and steadily growing economy that is departing from the monotonic crude oil dependence.

He said looted funds are being recovered and ploughed back to develop the country’s deficit infrastructure.

"Agriculture is now an attractive venture as farmers are becoming multi-millionaires and Nigeria is now an exporter of agricultural products as oppose to what it was three years ago.

"Mr. Chairman (Oshiomhole), for the first time since the return to democracy, Nigerians now have a president who can beat his chest and state that he has never stolen from the purse of the government.

"We have a president who is not having meetings at night to strike shady personal deals, rather he is ensuring that every agreement entered into by Nigeria is in the interest of the country and for its generations unborn. This has indeed boost the confidence of investors hence the increase in flow of direct foreign investment into the country.

"Today, and for the first time in our history, we have a government that is honest in investing in the poor, the masses and the underprivileged," Musa said.

The leader of NCAN said his group cannot fold it hands while the foundation laid by the president is for another person to destroy.

He noted that "we cannot afford to destroy the future of our children. The foundation laid by President Buhari must be reinforced.

"It is for this reason Mr. Chairman that we have decided to “pull our meagre resources together and purchase the Expression of Interest and nomination form for President Buhari as he presents himself to our party members to be chosen as its candidate for the 2019 general election."