President Muhammadu Buhari has charged presidential aspirants in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) not to compromise the integrity of the APC and the Federal Government in their campaigns.
This was made known following the meetings between President Buhari and the APC aspirants who met with him separately and at different times to inform him of their 2023 ambitions.
The President was quoted to have advised the aspirants to go to the field and sell their candidatures to the electorate.
It was learned that Buhari did not however ask any of those who consulted him to either run or drop their ambitions.
So far, no fewer than eight aspirants in the ruling party have declared their interest in taking over from the President when his tenure expires on May 29, 2023.
The aspirants include Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; a former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi; Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello; a businessman, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim; a former governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha; and Ihechukwu Dallas Chima.
According to reports, President Buhari also asked the aspirants to go ahead with their campaigns and that he would be watching them from afar.
He also asked them if they were popular enough to win and if they felt they could deliver the presidency to the ruling party. As expected, all of them answered in the affirmative.
The Presidency source said though Buhari spoke differently to the aspirants when they met with him, it would be difficult for any of them to claim to have gotten the President’s endorsement.
