President Muhammadu Buhari warned on Thursday night that if his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, did not settle its disagreements before its convention, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, would take over in 2023.
President Buhari stated this in an interview with the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, aired on Thursday night.
The President also said that he tried about three times to contest for the Presidency before he emerged, and so anyone that wanted to become the next president should also work for it.
When he was further asked if the current issues in APC would be resolved and the convention would still go ahead, he replied: “Well, we have a time frame. We have to work because the four year circle is constitutional.
“It cannot be interfered with by anybody. So if the party couldn’t agree, then the opposition can take over.”
“What did the PDP do? They said the opposition could not come together, but when ANPP, CPC, APGA came together, before PDP realized it, they were off; they are still off; they can see it.’’
On the question of succession and who would take over from him, he said he was not a kingmaker who would determine who would become the next president.
It did seem that Buhari would not be interested in using the paraphernalia of his office to assist anyone to succeed him in 2023.
He said at the state level any governor who tried to impose a governorship candidate on the people would face serious problems.
Read him: “My position is simple. I think I succeeded in trying to get my position understood in the sense that I said, we start from bottom upwards; from polling units to wards, to local governments, to states and then to Abuja.
“So, the party, because I’m concerned about my party, the party, in all constituencies they will know their positions, coming up. Therefore, when they come to Abuja, they are likely to work together.
“There is no kingmaker from Abuja, no constituency is being dictated to. All constituencies are supposed to produce their leadership in our party.
“What other parties are doing is their own business, but we want to make sure that our party members understand that they are respected. It is from polling unit, to ward to local government, to state and after Abuja.
“So those who want to be elected at any level, let them work for it. Nobody is going to appoint anybody.”
On corrupt politicians defecting from other parties to APC to escape justice, Buhari rejected the suggestion that corrupt politicians defected to the party to escape punishment.
He said that as far as he was concerned, such defections had not stopped his government’s insistence on accountability.
Buhari said: “I don’t like to accept that joining our party will check our insistence on accountability. We are very serious about people who aspire to lead at whatever level by their performance, by their integrity both professional and personal.
“But the problem is that we have to work within the system. Even if you suspect individuals, unless there is evidence, there isn’t much we can do. So, really, it is the system that makes it possible for some people really to even be corrupt.”
On whether the defectors will be allowed to go free, the president declared: “They can’t. Nobody can go scot free as far as I’m concerned.”
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