Presidential primaries: Buhari asks APC governors to support his anointed candidate

 

Obiora Ifoh, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to reciprocate the gesture he has always extended to them in allowing them anoint a successor.

In a speech he delivered at a meeting with the governors earlier today before departing for Spain where he would spend four days, Buhari argued that the APC has always followed its internal process of choosing flag bearers and successors.

Buhari claimed that first-term governors are allowed to seek re-election while second term governors enjoy the privilege of promoting their successors. He urged the governors of the party to extend that same privilege to him.

 

The speech in parts states: “The transition processes for the 2023 General Elections have commenced in earnest and I note that the most successful Political Parties globally have always relied on their internal cohesion and a strong leadership brand to achieve bigger electoral fortunes. Our party, the APC, shall not be any different, more so as we are still implementing the blueprint for a more prosperous nation.

“As I begin the final year of my second term as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and leader of the Party, I recognize the compelling need for me to provide stronger leadership to the Party under this transition process and to ensure that it happens in an orderly manner.

“Such leadership is required so that the Party remains strong and united. It is also needed to improve our electoral fortunes by ensuring that it retains power at the center, hold the great majority in various legislative chambers and also gain additional number of states at state levels.

“In pursuit of the foregoing objectives, the Party has successfully established internal policies that promote continuity and smooth succession plans even at the state and local government levels. For example, first term Governors who have served credibly well have been encouraged to stand for re-election. Similarly, second term Governors have been accorded the privilege of promoting successors that are capable of driving their visions as well as the ideals of the party.

“In a few days, the Party will be holding its Convention during which primaries would take place to pick the Presidential Flag Bearer for the 2023 General Elections. This is a very significant process and its outcome should prove to the world, the positive quality of the APC regarding democratic principles, culture as well as leadership.

“As we approach the Convention, I appeal to all of you to allow our interests to converge, our focus to remain on the changing dynamics of our environment, the expectations of our citizens and the global community. Our objective must be the victory of our party and our choice of the candidate must be someone who would give the Nigerian masses a sense of victory and confidence even before the elections.

“In keeping with the established internal policies of the Party and as we approach the Convention in a few days, therefore, I wish to solicit the reciprocity and support of the Governors and other stakeholders in picking my successor, who would fly the flag of our party for election into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023.

“I wish to assure you that the consultation process shall continue to ensure that all aspirants and stakeholders would be brought on board right through to the convention. This would also ensure that any anxiety occasioned by different factors are effectively brought under control and that our party emerges stronger.”

 

 

 

President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday departed Abuja for Madrid, Spain on a State Visit at the invitation of the Spanish President, Pedro Sanchez.

 

At a separate meeting during the visit, the first by the Nigerian leader, President Buhari will also meet with the Head of State of the Spanish nation, His Majesty King Felipe VI.

 

During his engagements with both leaders, the Nigerian President will discuss issues of mutual interest to both countries, which will expectedly result in the signing of Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding on a wide range of topics geared towards further enhancing the bilateral relations between the two nations.

 

Such areas include: Extradition and transfer of convicted persons, Mutual Legal Assistance, Cultural Matters, Cooperation towards fighting crime and enhancing security, as well as issues affecting dependants of diplomatic staff.

 

Also on the agenda are Cooperation on Energy, Trade and Investment, Transportation, Public Health and Sports Development.

 

The President will also be the Special Guest at an Investment Forum jointly organized by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, the Ministry of Trade, and the Confederation of Employers (CEOE) where he will speak to the gathering of top members of the Spanish business community and their Nigerian counterparts on the investment opportunities in Nigeria and ways of expanding the volume of trade as well as further collaborating for the development of the economies of both countries.

 

Buhari is accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN); Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo; Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola;  Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare; and the Minister of State for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora.

 

Other members of the delegation are the National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (rtd);  Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar; and Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

 

The President is expected back in the country on Friday, June 3 according to a statement by Mr. Femi Adesina,

Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity)

However, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has declared that the All Progressives Congress, APC, is ahead of other parties battling for the top political office in 2023.

Osinbajo, who is also one of the leading APC presidential aspirants, stated this after being screened by the party’s Presidential Screening Panel on Tuesday.

According to the VP, the screening panel discussed issues of national and party interests with him during the exercise.

He said, “We were able to discuss several issues; issues of national and party concerns; and it went very well indeed; we had a very good chat.

“Of course, we are ahead of any party; way ahead, APC is ahead.”

 

Also, former governor of Akwa Ibom State and Minister of Niger Delta

Akpabio, Godswill Akpabio speaking to journalists after passing through the screening committee said the exercise was quite rigorous and the checklist very good.

 

He also said the issue of consensus as being canvassed in some quarters was for the party to decide as the party is supreme. He also said he was not intimated by the popularity of Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate.

 

He said, “At least they will be able to know the aspirants in totality and also get their idea of how they are doing to run the affairs of the country and take the country from the present level to the next level. The array of politicians I have seen there are people who are grassroots based. What the aspirants have for the progress of the country; security, unity of the country which is very fragile and the economy and bring much productivity, infrastructure.

 

On how he tackle insecurity, he said, “Security is not something you discuss in the public but I believe that security is everybody’s business and because it is so serious, it is not what we play lip service with. I believe a lot in stakeholders engagement, involving even the traditional rulers, involving everyone, then building a coalition with our neighbouring countries we enable us and of course we must build Hi-Tech and most importantly, give these children the opportunity to lay down their arms and come back so that we can make them better citizens.

 

“Continuous drug abuse is also cause of insecurity because some of them are not doing it in their normal senses. Some of them indulge in tramadol and all that, some of them are lured by peer influence and all that. Some say it is because of unemployment but you know criminality doesn’t have an excuse. We will do our best to get them gainfully employed. We will work on technology, agric sector. Let us not pay lip service to insecurity. Let us be realistic. It is not something that will end in a day.

 

“Most of our youths have not been schooled, let us tackle that seriously,  take our children off the streets.

Everything you do with love you cannot go wrong, with love you will not be able to kidnap someone, with love you can’t behead anybody, with love, you will be able to provide them the best infrastructure.”