Buhari: Why I didn’t endorse APC presidential aspirant
President of the most populous country in Africa, President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday explained why he refused to endorse any candidate for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the run up to the party’s national convention held in June.
The former Lagos State governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, picked the APC presidential ticket after brushing aside the challenges of former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and 10 other aspirants in the primary election held on June 8.
The president, who spoke when he visited the Emir of Katsina, Dr. Abdulmumin Usman Kabir, at his palace, said the delegates were given a free hand to pick their candidate in order to strengthen party cohesion.
He said: “I was given a list of 30 aspirants to pick from. Most of them were my ministers and governors. So, who will I choose or support?
“One of the governors even came to see me and said who are we to choose?
“If I pick anyone, it would affect my Vice President because he was listening to our conversation. I then told them to choose who they want.
“So, they elected Tinubu as APC presidential candidate.
“I hope the 2023 general elections would also be peaceful just like the way APC conducted its congress where they elected the party’s national chairman, the presidential candidate, and how the presidential candidate picked his running mate.
“I hope God will help us to conduct the general elections peacefully.”
