Those who accused me of locking them up, I was locked up for three and half years too, so what? – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday broke his silence on why he didn’t join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) when he made up his mind to play partisan politics.

He spoke on the reasons he opted for the opposition parties when Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999.

President Buhari spoke to reporters in Johannesburg, South Africa after attending the African Union (AU) summit there. He dwelt on issues including his incarceration for three and half years after the coup that toppled his regime in 1985. He was Head of State between December 1983 and August, 1985.

Buhari recalled that the country lost about two million Nigerians to keep the country one, so nobody should come forward to talk about breakup. He said Nigeria will remain one country since God had given him another opportunity to reorganise Nigeria, saying the society would pay back those who work hard.

The President, who wondered why people keep referring to the fact that he jailed people during his regime, said he also went to jail for three and half years.

According to him, “after being in the military for 25 years, and getting to the highest rank and becoming Head of State and under unusual circumstances, as Head of State, I went straight to detention for three-and-a-half years. So, those who accused me of locking them up, I, too, have been locked up, so what?,” he declared…

I joined APP (All Peoples Party) because I didn’t want any political office at first, if I wanted I would have joined PDP then and maybe I would have gotten to where I am much earlier. But then I wanted to go with the opposition.