How Buhari created fresh fear, suspicion over transparency of 2023 elections

There are rising concerns that President Muhammadu Buhari may have created fresh fear and suspicion over his neutrality during the 2023 general elections, raising apprehension that the electoral process may not be transparent. This is not unconnected with the President’s affirmation of his commitment to the candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 general elections.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, had heightened the suspicion of stakeholders when he issued a statement that “President Muhammadu Buhari remains a “disciplined soldier” of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and will, in all the coming elections, support only those candidates fielded by the party and no other.” The statement has been generating mutual distrust of the president over the temptation of deploying the federal might at the behest of the ruling APC to ensure victory for all the party candidates in 2023.

According to the statement by the SSA: “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, APC, 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 high office of the President 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.”

The presidency noted: “This statement is not against any particular candidate;” threatening: “However, our stand is clear that only those candidates fielded by the All Progressives Candidates (APC) will enjoy the support of the President and they are the ones he will campaign for.

The president ordered 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.