“Allow the delegates to decide. The party must participate, nobody will appoint anybody.” Mr Buhari says.
President Muhammadu Buhari Monday told governors of APC-controlled northern states that he had no preferred presidential aspirant in the ruling party and the party should ‘allow the delegates to decide’ its presidential candidate.
Mr Buhari’s position was contained in a statement by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu.
Mr Shehu’s statement was released minutes after the APC national chairman told other members of the party’s leadership that Mr Buhari had chosen Senate President Ahmad Lawan as his preferred presidential candidate.
“Allow the delegates to decide. The party must participate, nobody will appoint anybody,” Mr Shehu quoted the president as saying.
The APC was scheduled to commence its presidential primary in Abuja Monday and conclude on Wednesday. The event was yet to start at the time of this report.
A total of 23 presidential aspirants are seeking the party’s ticket.
Apart from Mr Lawan, other presidential aspirants include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, ex-Lagos governor Bola Tinubu, transportation minister Rotimi Amaechi and Ekiti governor Kayode Fayemi.
Mr Shehu’s statement thus indicates that all the 23 aspirants will test their mettle at the primary.
Read Mr Shehu’s full statement below:
STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE
I HAVE ANOINTED NO ONE, THERE SHALL BE NO IMPOSITION, SAYS PRESIDENT BUHARI
President Muhammadu Buhari, Monday afternoon cleared all doubts about where he stands on the choice of a presidential candidate for the governing All Progressives Congress, APC, declaring before the party’s 14 governors of northern states that he has “no preferred candidate,” and has “anointed no one,” and is determined to ensure that “there shall be no imposition of any candidate on the party.”
Speaking at a meeting with the governors at the State House, Abuja, President Buhari said the party is important and its members must be respected and made to feel they are important.
The president said he had a clear mind about what he was doing and asked the APC governors to feel the same way: “You were elected as I was. Have a clear mind as I have. God gave us the chance; we have no reason to complain. We must be ready to take pain as we take the joy. Allow the delegates to decide. The party must participate, nobody will appoint anybody.”
Earlier in their addresses, the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Governor Simon Bako Lalong and Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of the Progressive Governors Forum, said they had come to affirm the position of the Northern Governors that the party’s candidate in the presidential election shall come from the southern part of the country.
They apologised to the president for the leakage of their signed memorandum which was not in support of any particular candidate and gave assurances to the president on their readiness to accept his leadership on the matter.
Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media & Publicity)
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