President Muhammadu Buhari says the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is lucky to have former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu as its presidential candidate ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The President stated this on Wednesday in an interview in the United Kingdom after meeting with His Royal Majesty, King Charles III in Buckingham Palace.
When asked about the chances of his party (the APC) in the next elections, Buhari said, “What are the chances of my party not winning the election? We are going to win the election.
“Tinubu, the presidential candidate, a very well-known politician in the country, he was a two-term governor in Lagos State, the most resourceful state and the most visited state. So, I think the party was lucky to get him to be the candidate.”
The President also said there is no going back on the planned redesign of the N1,000, N500 and N200 bank notes, adding that politicians won’t be allowed to mobilise resources and thugs to intimidate voters in the next elections.
He said the policy announced by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele on October 26, 2022 has come to stay.
“No going back,” Buhari said of the decision to redesign the three naira notes.
“My aim is to make sure that Nigerians believe that we respect them as an administration.
“So, Nigerians should vote for whoever they like from whichever political party. Nobody will be allowed to mobilise resources and thugs to intimidate people in any constituency. That is what I want to go down in Nigerian history for as a leader.”
Buhari, who is in the UK for “routine medical check-up”, said his visit to the 73-year-old monarch was to foster Nigeria-Britain bilateral relationship.
King Charles III had written to the Nigerian president, sympathising with him over the devastating floods that have killed hundreds and displaced millions in the West African nation.