Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on media, says his principal will not support Adekunle Akinlade, preferred governorship candidate of Ibikunle Amosun, governor of Ogun state.
Shehu said this in a statement released after the visit of Amosun and Akinlade to the presidential villa on Sunday.
Prior to Sunday’s visit, the duo had earlier met with the president alongside Yusuf Dantalle, chairman of Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
During that meeting, the APM chairman had presented a letter to the president from his party, endorsing him as their presidential candidate.
Akinlade could not secure the governorship candidate, hence his defection to the party. This led to the falling out of Amosun and Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
But Shehu said Buhari, as leader of the ruling party, would only support a candidate of the APC.
“Following repeated media enquiries on the matter, the presidency wishes to state in clear and unmistakable terms that as a party leader and a candidate on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the coming elections, President Muhammadu Buhari will campaign for the party and all its candidates,” the spokesman said.
“There is no doubt that the president has no competition here in terms of popularity in the coming elections. But the more support he gets, the wider the margin of victory there will be.
“So please let there be no confusion about this. President Buhari is APC. He will campaign for all APC candidates, but he welcomes support and endorsements.”
He added that Buhari would not decline support from citizens including candidates flying the flags of other parties.
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