2023 APC Presidential Ticket: I’ve No Candidate – Buhari
- Shuns state police again; backs roles for Royal fathers
BY EDMOND ODOK – With less than one year for political parties to choose and publicly present their presidential flagbearers for the 2023 general elections, President Muhammadu Buhari says the field is wide open to all interested contestants in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Pointedly distancing himself from those flaunting their presidential ambitions within the ruling party, President Buhari said he has no interest in who emerges as the APC candidate as all party members should have a fair chance to pursue their political aspirations without let or hindrance.
Declaring his stand of being open to the emergence of anyone in a Channels Television interview on Wednesday evening, the President said being fixated on who will succeed him at the Aso Rock Villa is not on the table.
In responding to a question on being interested in the choice of a candidate for APC come 2023, the President said; “Let him come, whoever it is. The only important thing (is) I made sure that on record, nobody should ask me to come and give any evidence in any court. Otherwise, whoever it is, he will be in trouble. Because all the important things are on record. I made sure about that. Important issues are all on record.”
Further pressed on the possibility of having a preferred candidate in the Party, President Buhari said; “No. I wouldn’t because he may be eliminated if I mention it. I better keep it secret.”
On suggestions that a state police system would help strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture, he said; “State police is not an option… Find out the relationship between local government and the governors.
“Are the third tier of government getting what they are supposed to get constitutionally? Are they getting it? Let the people in local government tell you the truth, the fight between local governments and the Governor.”
Clearly opposing the Nigerian Governors Forum’s position that devolving police structures to state and local levels will reduce the security challenges facing the country, the President noted that traditional rulers should rather be given an integral part to play in securing communities across the country.
He said the current realities have made it imperative that traditional leaders, who have the identities of people in different localities and their families, are not undermined in the process of finding solutions to the growing security challenges in Nigeria
According to him; “The role of traditional rulers must not be undermined, because in their areas they know who is who, even by families, not to even talk of individuals.”
