Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s president, has promised to help Bola Ahmed Tinubu, All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate win the 2023 presidential election, calling him a friend and brother.
The president’s media aide Garba Shehu, quoted Mr Buhari to have this in a statement.
According to Shehu, Buhari stated it in a letter addressed to Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, who is the chairman of the Progressives Governor Forum.
“Our candidate, His Excellency, Senator Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is no stranger to you. He is our friend and brother. We know his commitment, his track record, and his capacity to lead our party to success. So now is the time for all of us to come together and march forward, as we did in 2015, to a convincing APC victory,” Buhari said.
“I look forward to working closely with APC governors to support Senator Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all our APC candidates to success in 2023.”
Buhari described the party’s presidential primary as one of the most competitive and peaceful in the history of Nigeria’s democracy. He commended the role played by Mr Bagudu in the success of the primary that produced Mr Tinubu as the party’s candidate for the 2023 presidential election.
“I was pleased to see how you were very professional and efficient in handling the sensitive political position of chairman (of the) Progressives Governors Forum. Your commitment in pursuit of equity and fairness speaks volumes in the cooperation displayed by APC governors. This indeed demonstrates the camaraderie that brought us together over eight years ago,” Mr Buhari wrote in the letter to Mr Bagudu.
“The party primaries were peacefully conducted and the delegates have selected the candidate who will carry the APC flag in the 2023 presidential elections.”
He added in the letter, “Today, as a patriotic APC member and stakeholder, I trust that you will come together to work with our candidate to win the 2023 elections. In the past seven years in government, we have achieved a lot. However, we have a lot more to do. The APC project is far from over and we need all of you to come together to ensure our progressive journey to peace and prosperity is sustained.”
The president wished the APC “our great party” success in the 2023 elections.