PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has stated that for the 2023 elections there are no Villa candidates but only candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He, therefore, warned officials who are in and around the Presidential Villa to refrain from “loose talks” that may provide ammunition to the opposition and hurt the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2023 general election.
The president assured that he would only support candidates of the party, as there are no Villa candidates but APC candidates.
Buhari’s remarks were contained in a statement entitled ‘For 2023, no villa candidates, only APC candidates,’ issued on Wednesday by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity.
The statement warned former members of the party and those still in court that the president has nothing to do with them.
The statement read, “The presidency wishes to put it on record, and at the same time reassure faithful party members that President Muhammadu Buhari remains a ‘disciplined soldier’ of the All Progressives Congress, and will, in all the coming elections, support only those candidates fielded by the party and no other.
“This is a warning to decamped party members and some others who are still in court against official candidates of the APC that they are on their own and nobody outside the party tent should link what they are doing to President Buhari.
“The president wishes to be quoted as saying that he is the ‘occupant of the highest office in the country by the Grace of God who used the instrumentality of the APC to bring him to power with a historic verdict in 2015.’
“In 2019, he was returned with a bigger majority. For the first time, a non-PDP government came to power with a huge majority after 16 years of the Fourth Republic. “His constant refrain is: ‘I will not betray or undermine my party by supporting candidates other than those of the APC.’
“This statement is not against any particular candidate. However, our stand is clear that only those candidates fielded by the All Progressives Congress will enjoy the support of the president and they are the ones he will campaign for. However, we welcome support for our candidates at all levels by other parties.
“The president says he will continue to support the party at all levels to enforce discipline, synchronisation and coordination.
“He also directs officials in and around the Presidential Villa and all those engaging in loose talk to resist making controversial statements that eventually end up hurting the party and the government, thereby providing a weapon for the opposition to use against the administration, the party or its candidates in the coming elections.”
