Nigeria does not need Tinubu as president in 2023, says APC chieftain

Former member of the House of Representatives and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from Niger State, Hon. Adamu Kuta, has taken a swipe on the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, over his recent claim that he (Tinubu) is under pressure to contest the presidency in 2023.

Briefing reporters in Minna on Tuesday, Kuta said that the APC national leader is not the president Nigeria wants in 2023.

The former federal lawmaker maintained that regardless of which region the next president will come from, Nigeria needs a leader that can consolidate on the achievements and the foundation that President Mohammadu Buhari has laid, especially the anti-corruption campaign.

He said, “I like Tinubu as a person and he has contributed immensely to the success of our party, but honestly he is not the kind of president Nigeria needs in 2023.

“Nigerians need someone that can continue with the achievements and the foundation that Buhari has laid… we want someone that can continue from where he will stop in 2023.”

He dismissed insinuations that in view of the current crisis in the ruling party, there might not be an APC after Buhari in 2023.

“Crisis is not new in party politics and every political party has its own share of the crisis.

“It is the good work of Buhari in the next four years that will determine whether or not the party can last beyond 2023. But the good work Buhari is doing now, there is no doubt that the party will win the 2023 election,” he said.

On which region should produce the presidency in 2023, the former lawmaker declared that “the Nigeria constitution does not recognize zoning of political offices, the president can come from anywhere.

“The last general election had presidential candidates from every region of the country and nobody stopped them because the constitution recognizes them… So every region has the constitutional right to field candidates for any elective position in the country.

“Our focus should be how to get a credible candidate that will take over from Buhari in 2023, regardless of the region the person will come from. We want the best for the country.”