By Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Ibrahim Ogalah

President Muhammdu Buhari, yesterday, revealed that a particular governor of the All Progressives Congress, APC, pressed him to disclose his preferred candidate for the flag bearer of the ruling party before the election of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Speaking in Daura, Katsina State, during Sallah homage to the Emir of Katsina, Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, Buhari affirmed that the process that led to Tinubu’s election was purely democratic, and reflection of the will of party members.

The President, in statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu,was quoted as saying:

“When the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) signaled parties to elect their presidential candidates, we had 30 aspirants, mostly ministers in my cabinet and governors.”

He added: “I told each of the aspirants to go and do their best. One particular governor, in his wisdom, came to meet me and asked who they should vote for at the party convention, checking if I had a preferred candidate.

“There was no need for interference, knowing the competence of all the aspirants. They went and elected Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and he picked his running mate, Sen. Kashim Ibrahim, in a  process for the 2023 elections. I am praying that we will have peaceful and successful elections.”

The President said the openness and fairness with which the convention and the nomination of the APC were conducted should be seen as the affirmation of the spirit of fairness and openness with which the 2023 general elections will be conducted.

According to the statement, Buhari, who thanked Nigerians for their support for the APC in 2015, and 2019, said he had a rich experience in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 presidential elections, travelling to all the 774 local councils in the country, and in 2019 visiting 36 states. 

He said if Nigerians knew what other African countries were passing through,   they would be grateful to God as he assured that his administration was doing its best to tackle security challenges.

The President prayed that God would give him more strength and wisdom to protect the people and fulfill his promises.

Buhari further said: “They say he who wants to serve should be ready for the responsibility of leadership. Three times I wanted this position and three times I ended up at the Supreme Court. For that reason, in terms of experience, I have gathered a lot. I visited 774 local councils in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015.

“I feel privileged that Nigerians elected me in 2015. Since then, we have been doing our best to tackle the challenges, with God helping us. We are not alone. If only we knew what other countries in Africa are passing through, we will be grateful to God, and protect our country. Other African countries are passing through a lot.

“As leaders, we are doing our best, and will keep doing our best to improve the situation. I am praying that the Almighty God will give us more strength and wisdom to protect our people, and fulfill our promises of ensuring wellbeing,” he said.

The President said his administration would keep doing its best to address the concerns on security, which the Emir of Katsina and Governor Aminu Bello Masari highlighted in their remarks.

“I have heard all that the Governor and Emir have to say on what people expect from government. I will not add anything. I am the one receiving the orders. I will continue to do my best,” he said.

In his remarks, Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State thanked the President for his foresight in closing the borders across the country to promote local production of food, which led to self-sufficiency.

Usman, in his remarks, made four demands to the President: the immediate implementation of the Cancer Research Center which had been appropriated for by the federal government; the commissioning of the Rimi windmills as promised by the Minister of Power two years back and the resumption of work on Katsina-Kano dual carriage way and the Kano-Maradi rail track.