Nigerian ex-military ruler Muhammadu Buhari has declared his candidacy for upcoming presidential elections, the latest aspirant to enter the race from the country’s mainly Muslim north.
Buhari declared his candidacy on Thursday under the opposition Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) banner and faces a tough challenge, with Nigerian presidential politics dominated by the ruling People’s Democratic Party.
He is viewed as a stern figure not as susceptible to corruption as other politicians, but was also accused of human rights violations during his military regime following a coup on New Year’s Eve 1983 to August 1985.
He carried out a so-called War Against Indiscipline that sought to instil public order in Africa’s most populous nation, but which was also described as similar to a police state.
Buhari has developed a reputation as an anti-corruption figure — an issue with resonance in a country consistently ranked as one of the world’s most graft-ridden — and pledged to address the issue in his announcement speech.
“We must curb corruption, make the leaders accountable to the people who elected them and return to the values of leadership based on service and sacrifice,” he said.
Buhari has been viewed as having limited resources and some have questioned whether he can mount an effective campaign, though he may benefit from a north-south divide that has roiled the ruling party.
President Goodluck Jonathan and former vice-president Atiku Abubakar are vying for the ruling party’s nomination for the April 9 election.
The ruling PDP has dominated the presidency since a return to civilian rule in 1999, though elections have been widely viewed as flawed. — AFP