By ISMAILA CHAFE

The Presidency on Tuesday said President Muhammadu Buhari did not suffer any form of constraints in arriving at decisions leading to the smooth conduct of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) party’s primary.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu emerged winner of the party’s primary conducted between June 8 and 9.

Tinubu polled 1,271 votes to defeat his closest rivals, former Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi who scored 316 votes and Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo who garnered 235 votes.

Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s media aide, who was reacting to mixed comments on the just concluded APC primaries in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the president had refused to impose a consensus candidate or act as an elected autocrat.

According to him, by this president’s stance, people’s faith and that of the international community in nation’s democracy had received a major boost since the completion of the APC nomination.

Shehu said: “Luckily for Nigeria, President Buhari does not suffer from such constraints. He refuses to act as the elected autocrat.

“The President had a clear purpose leading up to the primary: to ensure a transparent, free and fair process that will bring back people’s faith in democracy by taking good governance up to the grassroots level.

“By this alone, people’s faith and that of the international community in our democracy has received a major boost since the completion of the APC nomination.”

The presidential aide, who stated that the APC presidential flagbearer would be enjoying Buhari’s unwavering support, dismissed the speculative media reports arising from the conduct of the primary.

He said: “When it is election season we all expect speculation to reach fever-pitch.

“The press pores over every word spoken, scours every photo taken, and reports every indication suggested, seeking signs of who is supporting who like private investigators – or fiction writers.

“There’s no greater intrigue for this kind of speculation-journalism than a party flagbearer primary.

“But it only comes around once every four years – or every eight following President Buhari’s second term. Therefore, the media must make the most of it.

“So, what a disappointment the All Progressives Congress (APC) party flag bearer primary must have been for those who assembled to witness a catastrophe?

“No intrigue, no division, no disagreement, no defeated candidates rejecting the result, no splits, no third-party runs.

“Only determination to rally around the chosen flag bearer to deliver victory and an APC third term in February 2023.” (NAN)

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