The Presidency on Tuesday said that contrary to widespread speculations, President Muhammadu Buhari does not rely on the opinions of the ‘cabal’ but takes his decisions without the backup of any third-party elements.
This was stated in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu.
Shehu said Buhari refused to act as an elected autocrat by ensuring free and fair primaries devoid of any intervention.
He said Buhari takes his own decisions and carries them out without the backup of a so-called “cabal” or backroom boys, noting that while the strong leader myth in the country had lasted for far too long, people make assumptions that a leader must dominate everything, and even determine electoral outcomes.
According to him, “Luckily for Nigeria, President Buhari does not suffer from such constraints. He refuses to act as the elected autocrat.
“The President had a clear purpose leading up to the primary: to ensure a transparent, free and fair process that will bring back people’s faith in democracy by taking good governance up to the grassroots level.
“By this alone, people’s faith and that of the international community in our democracy has received a major boost since the completion of the APC nomination.
“The flagbearer has been chosen. He has the President’s unwavering support. The journey to victory continues.”
He, however, clarified that the speculations by the media around the President’s favourite candidate ahead of the APC primary was expected especially in a situation where the opportunity to choose a presidential candidate comes once in eight years.
He contended that the successful conduct of the Congress and the eventual emergence of the party’s flagbearer must have been a disappointment for those who assembled to witness a catastrophe.
He said, “No intrigue, no division, no disagreement, no defeated candidates rejecting the result, no splits, no third-party runs. Only determination to rally around the chosen flagbearer to deliver victory and an APC third term in February 2023.
“The opposition reaction to this successful nomination convention has come by way of a counter-offensive so that we do not go on the offensive.”
The presidential spokesman recalled that there were clear evidence of a conspiracy to destabilize the governing party and defame the President as the media were inundated with made up stories– speculating about the role of the President in the flagbearer contest: whether he had a favoured candidate, and whether manoeuvres were made to install them; whether the chosen flagbearer was the President’s choice or another.
He said, “Speculation is easy. But facts are simple. The President always said he had a favoured candidate. He said that candidate was whoever was chosen by the APC in a democratic primary to lead the party at the election.”
