President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is set for its third victory since 2015. He stated this during a meeting at the State House Abuja that drew in attendance members of the APC National Advisory Council, where he appraised the series of consultations held so far towards getting a widely acceptable presidential standard-bearer. “I am pleased to inform you that those meetings have been fruitful and indicative of a party that is prepared and marching towards a third straight victory since 2015, at the presidential polls,” the President was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his media aide, Femi Adesina. “I am optimistic that the outcome of this consultation with the National Advisory Council will in addition to sharpening our focus, help to fortify the positive democratic principles, practices and culture that already exists within the party system. “In the course of these consultative processes, I have already met separately with the Progressive Governors and with all our eminent members who are aspiring to become the Presidential flag bearer for our party during the 2023 elections.” See the full statement issued below: STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE APC SET FOR 3RD STRAIGHT VICTORY SINCE 2015, SAYS PRESIDENT BUHARI At a meeting held Sunday night at State House, Abuja, with members of the National Advisory Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC), President Muhammadu Buhari appraised the series of consultations held so far toward getting a widely acceptable presidential standard-bearer, and concluded: we are on the way towards winning our third straight victory since 2015. Saying the meeting was convened to provide leadership and direction during the transition period, the President added that the motive was “to strengthen our unity and to focus on building upon our electoral fortunes.” He added: “I am optimistic that the outcome of this consultation with the National Advisory Council will in addition to sharpening our focus, help to fortify the positive democratic principles, practices and culture that already exists within the party system. “In the course of these consultative processes, I have already met separately with the Progressive Governors and with all our eminent members who are aspiring to become the Presidential flag bearer for our party during the 2023 elections. “I am pleased to inform you that those meetings have been fruitful and indicative of a party that is prepared and marching towards a third straight victory since 2015, at the presidential polls.” President Buhari recalled that at the meeting with the Governors and the aspirants, “I underscored the important roles consensus building and consultation have played in the survival of successful political parties around the world, adding that our party should not be an exception. “Recognizing the foregoing, therefore, I also emphasized the need to strengthen our unity, stabilize our internal cohesion and system as well as present a formidable Presidential candidate who has the ability to build a unified nation and the capacity to deal with our challenges. “The party machinery has also screened all our aspirants to the office of the President and found that they consist of eminent personalities, rich in experience, capacity, commitment to service and accomplishment in life. This gives us a lot of confidence but it also comes with its challenges.” He said that in the circumstances, in order to prevent any post-convention acrimonies and also reduce noticeable anxiety among members on the possible outcome of the process, the party leadership has recommended the intensification of consultation and consensus-building to reduce the number of aspirants as it approaches the convention, which commences Monday, June 6, 2022. The President said in order to further support the efforts of the party, he has admonished the aspirants to consult among themselves and with the party, so that the objective of the recommendation by the leadership would be actualized. And as members of the National Advisory Council of the APC, the President says he recognizes the fact that they all have diverse interests, spheres of influence and expectations. “You similarly possess the collective ability to ensure our victory at the 2023 polls by strengthening the stability and unity of the party. “My charge and appeal to all of you, therefore, is to reach out to your various spheres of influence to actively promote the spirit of consultation and consensus-building so that a formidable candidate for the 2023 Presidential elections would emerge from the convention. Our citizens do not expect less from us.” President Buhari assured as he did to the Governors and the aspirants, that in the interest of the nation and the party, he would lead the transition processes and ongoing consultations, “till we successfully choose our candidate for the 2023 presidential elections and record our third straight victory, thereafter, by God’s grace.” Responding on behalf of the National Advisory Council (hitherto known as Board of Trustees) members, former Internal Affairs Minister and Senator, Major General Mohammed Magodo (retd), former Osun State Governor and first Interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, and former Senate President, Chief Ken Nnamani, thanked the President for the consultative meetings and commended him for the great service he had rendered to the country, particularly in the areas of agriculture and infrastructure. They were unanimous that with hard work and a united front, the APC would win the presidential election billed for February next year, as well as National Assembly, governorship, and State Assembly polls.   Femi Adesina Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity) June 5, 2022

  Ahead of the 2023 general elections, a presidential aspirant and Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, on Sunday said he is the voice of the young people. The governor made the assertion on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, a few hours before the commencement of the presidential primary election of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). “By June this year, I will be 47. I am still the young of the young people, the voice of the younger generation, the voice for the women, the voice for people living with disabilities, and the voice for Nigerians irrespective of religion, region, or tribe because we have demonstrated it in Kogi State,” the governor said. If the APC gives him the opportunity to fly its flag next year, the Kogi governor boasted that he will defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. He claimed that he would be celebrating his victory by 2 pm on the day of the presidential election if the APC gives him the ticket. Bello also spoke on his plans to revamp Nigeria’s security challenges, recalling that when he came on board as Kogi on January 27, 2016, the state was experiencing security challenges. When asked if he has the solution to Nigeria’s security challenges, the governor did not directly answer the question. Rather, he explained that he has demonstrated his ability to solve tackle insecurity based on his experience in Kogi State. “I have demonstrated that well enough in Kogi State. By the special grace of God, we are going to achieve it within the first 12 months of Governor Yahaya Bello’s presidency,” he added.

  Contrary to media reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had, during a meeting with presidential aspirants of the All Progressives Congress, APC, discussed that the Presidency should go to the South in 2023, the Presidency has said nothing of such was discussed. Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the President, Malam Garba Shehu, disclosed this as Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, accused some governors of APC in the North of “trading off” Arewa’s right to choose the next president of the country. However, the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Campaign Organisation, ABATCO, has described the 11 northern APC governors asking for power shift to the southern part of the country as worthy patriots. The presidential spokesperson in an interview, yesterday, with the BBC Hausa Service, said: “The meeting was among the series of meetings President Muhammadu Buhari commenced with the chieftains and party bigwigs in the APC to ensure the APC presidential primary election is conducted peacefully; and to make sure APC is placed on the right pedestal that will bring victory to the party during the presidential election in 2023.” Asked if the issue of power shift was discussed at the meeting, Malam Garba Shehu said: “No, that was not discussed. What President Muhammadu Buhari said was that he had called them to advice them that they should go and discuss within themselves, in their capacity as presidential aspirants, they should deliberate among themselves and with the party on how they could bring forth a sole candidate for the presidency.” When told that some Nigerian newspapers had written that the President was in support of power going South, Shehu said: “Nothing of such was discussed, as even if the President had such an opinion, he did not come out to say it at the meeting.” When reminded that there were rumours President Buhari might come out to announce the person he was supporting to succeed him, Shehu explained: “What the President was saying was that he was prepared to continue providing the leadership that would lead to the emergence of a candidate through a peaceful and harmonious process that the aspirants, governors and other party leaders would adopt.” On what President Buhari would do if the aspirants failed to arrive at a consensus arrangement, Shehu said the President would have no choice, adding: “We have to follow the election process.”

  President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the national advisory council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to “actively” promote consensus building among the presidential hopefuls of the party. The president met with the APC stakeholders and some governors at the state house on Sunday night. Speaking at the meeting, Buhari said the ruling party is on course for a third straight electoral victory. He said the meeting was convened to provide leadership and direction during the transition period, adding that the goal was “to strengthen our unity and to focus on building upon our electoral fortunes”. Buhari said: “I am optimistic that the outcome of this consultation with the National Advisory Council will in addition to sharpening our focus, help to fortify the positive democratic principles, practices and culture that already exists within the party system. “In the course of these consultative processes, I have already met separately with the Progressive Governors and with all our eminent members who are aspiring to become the Presidential flag bearer for our party during the 2023 elections. “I am pleased to inform you that those meetings have been fruitful and indicative of a party that is prepared and marching towards a third straight victory since 2015, at the presidential polls. “I underscored the important roles consensus building and consultation have played in the survival of successful political parties around the world, adding that our party should not be an exception. “Recognizing the foregoing, therefore, I also emphasized the need to strengthen our unity, stabilize our internal cohesion and system as well as present a formidable Presidential candidate who has the ability to build a unified nation and the capacity to deal with our challenges. “The party machinery has also screened all our aspirants to the office of the President and found that they consist of eminent personalities, rich in experience, capacity, commitment to service and accomplishment in life. This gives us a lot of confidence but it also comes with its challenges. “My charge and appeal to all of you, therefore, is to reach out to your various spheres of influence to actively promote the spirit of consultation and consensus-building so that a formidable candidate for the 2023 Presidential elections would emerge from the convention. Our citizens do not expect less from us.” The president said he understands that members of the advisory council have “diverse interests, spheres of influence and expectations”, but added that they also “possess the collective ability to ensure our victory at the 2023 polls”.