2023: Buhari denies third term bid, insists APC must win

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that contrary to in insinuations, he is not nursing the ambition of perpetuating himself in power beyond 2023.

Buhari who disclosed this Friday in his address at the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja said he had no plans to thwart Nigeria’s constitution by contesting for a third term in office, and that he would leave by 2023.

The President however insisted that APC must win the 2023 Presidential election and tasked all the leaders of the party, specifically NEC members to show more seriousness and dominate politically in their constituencies.

He stressed that it would be shameful if APC collapsed after his tenure, as according to him, history would not forgive anyone who would have tried to aid the collapse the party.

“At the meeting of the caucus, I made some comments, which are still relevant here but to me, the most important is that every member of NEC should reposition himself or herself to make sure that you have dominated your constituency politically. The aim is that, as I mentioned yesterday, history will not be fair to us outrightly if the APC collapses at the end of this term.

“I am not going to make the mistake of attempting a third term. Besides the age, I swore by the holy book that I would go by the Constitution and the Constitution said two terms. I know that I’m in my last term and I can afford to be reckless because I’m not going to ask for anybody’s vote.

“I want you to read the constitution. I made sure that when the Constitution says the election as we did it the last time will start in 18 months’ time or 20 months’ time it is going to be done.

“Anybody who fails to maintain the respect of his constituents and is thrown out, it’s his problem. Like the Chairman has said, all those who left us to the upper house, none of them were voted by his constituents. You want to take our people for granted but they know what they are doing,” Buhari noted.

Also speaking before the meeting went close door, APC National Chairman declared that, Dino Melaye would be humiliated at the November 30 Kogi West Senatorial supplementary elections, marking the political elimination of the 15 National Assembly Member rebels led by former Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

“There is one that is still struggling but as it is, he is at 20,000 feet below ground level and he’s hoping that there would be a miracle that would bring him to ground level and climb the tree to the Senate but by the special grace of God, under your leadership, there will be no miracles in the election, particularly when they are free and fair. God willing, by the end of the month, when the re-run in Kogi State would be done, the sixteenth stubborn one will go the way of the other 15”, he said.

While expressing joy over the defeat of Saraki at the general elections, Oshiomhole said, “I think our victory in Kwara state for me was most outstanding. I think we now generally refer to Kwara with Pride as the “Otooge revolution’.

“Mr President, I have chosen to amplify where we lost but we also made some gains that quite outstanding. I’m sure it is gladdening the heart of every APC member and even APC well wishers that the man who led rebellion against our party, former Senate President, that people of Kwara State did not only denied him return to the Senate, they also voted out every element in PDP and today from the governorship we won, Senators we won and of course the House of Representatives and state House of Assembly.”