The All Progressives Congress has asked the Peoples Democratic Party and Nigerians to bury the insinuations of President Muhammadu Buhari elongating his tenure.
The PDP had in a statement on Sunday accused the APC of plotting tenure elongation and asked the ruling party to perish the alleged plot.
Recall that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Robert Clarke, had recently said “if the (insecurity) situation in which we are in now continues and it is impossible to vote in the 2023 election, the constitution says the President will inform the INEC.”
Clarke added, “In view of all insurgencies, kidnappings, Boko Haram, I don’t think in these different areas of Nigeria, we can have a good election. I don’t see how what is happening today can be stopped within six months from today or before February next year when the elections will be held.”
But inaugurating the council, the National Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu dismissed concerns about any planned tenure elongation, and urged the council to deliver Ekiti to the president as one of his parting gifts.
Adamu said, “President Muhammadu Buhari is at the beginning of his trip out of the Presidential Villa. He made no secret of it. He is a man of honour, he seeks no extension. He made it public in this very hall that used to be our National Executive Committee NEC meeting hall. He said that he has been elected for a second time. He is under oath as president to protect and preserve the Nigerian Constitution.
“The Nigerian Constitution has given him two terms of four years each. He has started his second term and at the end of it, he does not intend to, and will not ask for anybody to ask for a third term or any elongation of tenure.
“Recently, he made the same pronouncement sometimes early this year. So, we are on a boat like him to see that he has a soft landing and that is to deliver this party to victory and Ekiti State is the first test.
“So, he takes this election very seriously. We would try to do as much as possible, we will be guided by the rules of engagement for elections, we will observe every rule, every guideline and we do hope that those who will be responsible for overseeing the compliance will be fair arbiters, will be fair referees, will be fair umpires.
“It is our hope and prayer that God Almighty will be with us, will guide us, and will ensure that victory is ours”.