President Muhammadu Buhari welcoming Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, to State House Abuja, after the governor defected to APC. (Credit : Facebook – Femi Adesina).

By Abasifreke Effiong

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his party, All Progressives Congress, APC, will not relinquish power to another party in 2023.

Speaking in an interview on Arise TV with Reuben Abati on Thursday, Buhari said anyone who wants to succeed him as Nigeria’s President should join the APC.

‘APC will continue to run Nigeria after my tenure. So, tell anyone who wants to be Nigeria’s President in 2023 to join the APC.’

The All Progressives Congress won the Nigeria’s presidential election in 2015 and ousted the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), which have ruled the country from 1999.

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The ruling party, APC, has continued to woo Governors elected on the platform of the PDP.

The APC currently has 23 Governors out 36 following the defection of Governors of Cross River and Zamfara states.

President Buhari said the APC has not zoned the 2023 presidential ticket to the South as was widely reported.

“You cannot sit there in Lagos, for instance, and decide on the fate of APC on zoning,” Buhari said during an interview with Arise TV on Thursday.

“Therefore we should allow the party to decide.”

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The President stated that there is an ongoing restructuring of the party which will allow every member to contribute to deciding where the presidential ticket should be zoned to in 2023.

“The restructuring of the party has begun from the bottom to the top with the membership card registration,” Buhari said.

“Every member of the party must be involved. We will soon conduct our convention”, President Buhari said.

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