Some retired military officers in Nigeria on Monday endorsed the re-election bid of President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) .

The retired officers, who cut across the three armed forces namely Army, Navy and Air Force comprised  two Lt.-Generals, 13 Major Generals, eight Air Vice Marshals, 2 Rear Admirals, 12 Brigadier Generals, 9 Air Commodores, eight Commodores and 17 former Military Administrators among others.

The retired generals, who held a meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja were led by former Military Administrator of Lagos State, Brig-Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd).

Others who attended the meeting included former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade and former Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Jubril Ayinla.

Speaking at the event, President Buhari reiterated the main objective of his contesting the presidential election four times and ending up at the Supreme Court on three of the occasions before finally winning in 2015.

“God has made this country great. We have human and material resources and may God continue to give us the right leaders. My objective is very clear, and I will continue to do my best.

“The higher you go in Nigeria, the hotter it becomes and not the other way round. But I can’t complain. I tried so hard to be here three times, ending up at the Supreme Court. So, I can’t complain over anything I am going through now,” Buhari said.

While describing the military as an institution that gives amazing opportunities to know the country, he added: “I am very grateful that you have claimed me back as one of your own.

“I was governor of North-East which is now six states, Minister of Petroleum for over three years, Head of State. I was arrested and detained but did not lose my rank, because nothing was found against me.”

Speaking to State House Correspondents after the meeting, Marwa, who also heads a Presidential Advisory Committee for the elimination of drug abuse in the country said the endorsement was informed by Buhari’s fulfillment of all he promised to do.

He said: “As an officer and a gentleman, his word is his bond. After winning the election, he brought out a simple three-point programme – security, economy and fighting corruption.

“On security, I have touched on the advances made the period before and when he took over from 2015 till date. I put the question, the bombings that used to go on in this FCT, Kaduna and so on, where are they today?

“The herdsmen crisis, where is it today? Where is IPOB today? The Boko Haram are not flying their flags like they did before. They were in my local government for eight months. They actually  even lived in my house.

“Believe it or not, they have been chased away and now they are just in the fringes of Lake Chad. Things are better. You look at the infrastructure, it is the same thing. Things are happening everywhere, highways are coming up, there is no state of the federation that there is no work going on

“In the railways, it is the same thing. So, the long and short of it is that when you demonstrate what you say you will do and you are from our own constituency, we must stand up and be counted.

“And, therefore, the retired military officers today with former military governors, retired military officers from the ranks of Brigadier General and their equivalents of other officers are here today, to tell the President and to tell Nigerians that we are fully behind him in the elections next week and we will do whatever we can within the law to see that he is victorious in the elections.”