By Mohammed Mohammed
In high pitch anxiety and confusion that have trailed the ongoing the All-Progressives Congress primary election, which began on Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari has stepped out to say that he has not anointed any of the candidates as the party’s flag bearer in 2023.
His affirmation therefore sealed all doubts about where he stands on the choice of a presidential candidate for the APC, even as he declared 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.
Signed by Mallam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on (Media & Publicity)