A statement released by the media aide to the Presidency, Malam Garba Shehu, on Wednesday, disclosed that Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari is reassuring the Presidential candidate of the All-Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu and other party candidates of his support in the forthcoming general elections.
Why this matters
Over the last couple of weeks, analysts in Nigeria’s political space have speculated that President Muhammadu Buhari wasn’t interested in the presidential ambition of the party’s flag bearer. This statement addresses those rumors.
What they are saying
Part of the released statement stated “this is to dispel expressed concerns in certain quarters that the President has not featured in campaigns since the national launch in Jos, Plateau State and to stress that while he remains committed to party politics, the functions and duties of the President will equally be upheld at times.”
- President Buhari, in the statement, also expressed his optimism about the APC’s chances of clinching victory in the 2023 elections.
The big picture
President Muhammadu Buhari holds a strong political grip as an incumbent President in the country; as such, any candidate at state or federal levels with the endorsement, backing and support of the President has an advantage over others. In Nigeria’s presidential race, a public endorsement of Tinubu from President Buhari tilts the balance in the former’s favour, especially in the Northern region, where opposition parties seem to pose a challenge to the ruling party.