President Muhammadu Buhari has warned members of his ruling party, All Progressive Congress (APC), that failure to get the convention right is tantamount to creating an opportunity for the main opposition, Peopled Democratic Party (PDP) to grab power in 2023. Buhari affirmed that there will be no kingmaker in the ruling party this time around, therefore, warned that all aspirants must work hard to earn a position. The Nigerian president made this comment during an interactive season with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) last night, Thursday.
The ruling party, All Progressive Congress, APC has slated February 2022 as their convention date which Buhari insisted that the party must work hard towards the date so that the party can have substantive leadership; otherwise, the opposition may seize the opportunity to displace them.
Buhari said, “We have a time frame; we have to work around it because the four-year cycle is constitutional. It cannot be interfered with by anybody. So, if the party cannot agree, then the opposition will take over.
“What did the PDP do? They thought that the opposition could not come together. But when ACN, ANPP, CPC, APGA came together, before PDP realized it, they were off. They are still off.
When Mr. Buhari was asked that being the leader of the party, what role is he mulling for certain individuals, Buhari disclosed that he is not a kingmaker, calling on aspirants to earn their badge instead of thinking he would subvert the process for them.
He said, “My position is simple. I think I succeeded in making my position understood. I said that we start from the bottom-up, from polling units to wards, local government, state, and Abuja.
“So that the party—because I am concerned about my party—members will know that they can earn their position coming up. So when they come to Abuja, they are likely to work together.
Buhari explained, “There is no kingmaker from Abuja. No constituency is being dictated upon by the national leadership. All constituencies are supposed to produce their leadership in our party.
“What other parties do is their own business. We have to make sure that our party members understand that they are respected, from polling units, wards, local governments, states, and up to Abuja.
“So those who want to be elected to any level let them work for it. Nobody is going to appoint anybody”, Buhari concluded.
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