Presidency on Monday blasted Buba Galadima for saying that President Muhammadu Buhari would be alone in 2019.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, described Galadima’s assertion that the masses would desert Buhari in 2019 as unfounded and utterly ridiculous.

Shehu said ordinary Nigerians were the backbone of Buhari’s mandate and the only reason he ran for the office was to protect them against the “rapacious merchants of corruption who have held Nigeria back for decades.”

The presidential spokesman also described Galadima’s calculation and prediction as utterly confused and misleading.

Shehu said the masses were solidly behind Buhari because he was not stealing their money and future, adding that the president’s enormous goodwill remained ever strong because the people were convinced that he was acting in their best interest despite the temporary unintended consequences of reforms.

 According to Shehu, Buhari is far from isolation as he enjoys “a very strategic relationship” with ordinary Nigerians.

“This relationship is as solid as the proverbial rock. If Buba Galadima thinks that because he has no role and no job in this government that means president is isolated, he is putting himself up to ridicule,” he stated.

Shehu said Galadima could not speak for the masses as far as their steadfast loyalty to Buhari was concerned.

He said though Galadima was entitled to advance his own “political agenda”, he did not have the right to decide for ordinary voters.

Shehu, who noted that Galadima’s disagreement with Buhari was based on principle, said the president was committed to a level-playing field and would not want anyone to link his name to injustice.

He stated: “Galadima’s disagreement with Buhari started in 2011 when a group within the party, orchestrated an organisational mess which the CPC embarked on the imposition and substitution of candidates for cash payments at the expense of those duly and democratically elected. President Buhari was embarrassed the incidents and complaints about the imposition and substitution of candidates, and said he, as a democrat, would not suppress the will of the people to please selfish interests.

“Consequently he dispensed with the service, such as they are, of Buba Galadima; ran and won the 2015 Elections without them. Let Buba Galadima go to his constituency, stand for election and see what will happen to him,” Shehu said.(Daily Trust)