"I came back to power in this 'agbada' to convince Nigerians to make sacrifices" - Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has revealed that he came back to power as a democratic president to convince Nigerians to make sacrifices for Nigerias future.

The president said this during a dinner with the All Progressives Congress (APC) Aspirants Forum at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday, October 30, 2018. The forum is a group of APC members who are unhappy with the conduct of the party's recently-concluded primary elections and are rumoured to be planning to dump the party.

In a statement signed by the president's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari urged the aggrieved party members to be patient in service of the nation.

Buhari was quoted to have said, "I urge you to stay faithful if your objective is to serve the country. I came back to power in this 'agbada'’ to convince Nigerians to make sacrifices that the country needs now for a better future."

Buhari served as Nigeria's military Head of State between 1983 and 1985 before he returned as a democratic president after his victory in the 2015 presidential election.

While noting that not everyone will be appeased by the party, he urged aggrieved members to maintain faith in the party and the country.

He said the primary motivation to contest elections should be to improve the country and vowed there will be more future opportunities for them to serve the nation. He said they must be vigilant and not associate with people of questionable integrity in their bid to achieve political convenience.

"Those who mismanaged the resources of the country are still very much around, with incredible wealth," he said.

He said the future of Nigeria will only be salvaged by those who love the country.

The leader of the APC Aspirants Forum, Hon. Yusuf Banki, said the network of 7,000 members will work to ensure the president's victory at 2019 presidential election as the president contests for another term in office.

2019 presidential election

While next year's election is expected to be keenly-contested between President Buhari and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), they both face competition from other candidates including Donald Duke of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Kingsley Moghalu of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), Obiageli Ezekwesili of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Fela Durotoye of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC).

Others are Tope Fasua of the Abundance Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP), Eunice Atuejide of the National Interest Party (NIP), Olusegun Mimiko of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Adesina Fagbenro-Byron of the Kowa Party (KP), Chike Ukaegbu of the Advanced Allied Party (AAP), Hamza Al-Mustapha of the People's Party of Nigeria (PPN), Obadiah Mailafia of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and many more.