As different political parties, stakeholders and Nigerians gear up for the 2023 elections, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has reacted to speculations making the rounds that President Muhammadu Buhari has the intention to continue beyond 2023.
The APC knocked the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for insinuating that President Buhari intends to hold onto power after his tenure ends in 2023.
According to the ruling party, President Buhari would not act like Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, who allegedly plotted to spend a third term in office.
Mr John Akpanudoehede, the National Secretary, APC Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, said the party would come up with a consensus and agreeable presidential candidate representing it in the 2023 elections appropriate time.
Akpanudoehede added that the APC has no third term agenda like PDP. He explained that the ruling party is working to stabilise the party and not allow individual ambitions to derail Buhari’s administration.
Earlier, the PDP had alleged that President Buhari has a self-succession plan.
You will recall that Obasanjo reportedly attempted to elongate the constitutionally allowed terms of office, however, the former President repeatedly denied the allegations.
EveryEvery.ng had reported that Obasanjo cleared the air over the purported plans to float a new party ahead of the 2023 Presidency.
According to Kehinde Akinyemi, the Special Assistant on Media Affairs to Obasanjo, the Ex-President said he has no intention to form a new political party, contrary to the reports making the rounds.
In a statement titled, ‘Obasanjo Not Forming Political Party, Akinyemi said his principal has no plan to float a new political party now or in the future.
He disclosed that the former President, who is currently in Kabul, Afghanistan, as a guest of President Ashraf Ghani, had earlier opined that his door is open to any group or individual who wants to seek his opinion on any issue.
Akinyemi further stated that the Ex-President’s political party is the party of Nigerians facing hunger, insecurity, unemployment, poverty, and various other challenging issues.
However, he advised those who want to use the back door to force Obasanjo to return to partisan politics to respect his choice to remain a non-partisan statesman.