The Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari, has said the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is the next President of Nigeria “Insha Allah.”

Masari said this during an interview with TVC, monitored by our correspondent on Wednesday.

“Who is better than him in the political terrain of Nigeria today?” Masari asked when asked to speak on Tinubu’s chances in the 2023 presidential election.

Asked if the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, was better, he said, “I don’t know him. Somebody who was a governor of Anambra? Go and ask a Katsina man and the politicians, how many of them know Peter Obi? We are talking about a presidential candidate of Nigeria, somebody who has cut all barriers – tribal, religious, regional, name it.”

On the presidential candidat of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, he said, “I think Atiku is a formidable force but our force is greater than him and he knows that. He is a veteran of contesting elections and also a veteran loser.”

The governor dismissed talks that 2023 is Atiku’s best chance of becoming President, saying, “That was said several times and it never came to pass and this one will never come to pass.”

When asked if Northerners were buying into the Tinubu candidacy, Masari said, “They’ve already bought into it. First of all, Bola is not a new name in politics of Nigeria and we, the people of Katsina, know the role played by Bola Tinubu in 2015 for the emergence of Muhammadu Buhari. We know the support he gave in 2019 for the continuation of Muhammadu Buhari. We, here in Katsina, are not ingrates.”

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, has told party loyalists and Nigerians that the party will return 25 or more governors during the 2023 general elections as it used to in the past.

Ayu was speaking after a closed-door meeting with the party’s governorship candidates from the 34 states across the country on Wednesday at the party’s headquarters in Abuja.

According to Ayu, the governorship candidates met with some members of the National Working Committee to express their concerns in their various states on the efforts they were making to win elections in their states.

“The candidates came and express their concerns in their various states. Briefed us on the efforts they are making in their various states to win the elections

“We want to return about 25 state governors or more as we used to have. So the mood in the party is excellent.

“We are very determined that we don’t just win at the national level, states and national assemblies, and state governorship, we want to return about 25 state governors or more as we used to have. So the mood in the party is excellent.”

The meeting came amid leadership crisis in the party where pressure was been mounted on Ayu to step aside as one of the conditions for reconciliation, according to the camp of the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.

Wike’s camp has been angered by the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, who overlooked the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, as his running mate for the 2023 elections, nominating the Delta State Governor, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa.

However, the national chairman of the party, reacted to those calling for his resignation, saying he was elected for a four-year tenure and would not resign till the end of his tenure.

MAIDAWAAREWA reported how Wike’s clique met with the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, in the United Kingdom, on Tuesday, which raised more questions than answers.

The Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, while speaking at the end of the meeting, stated that the governorship candidates were coming together to discuss the party’s issues.

“The candidates are coming together, uniting the party, and to discuss, even, the issues of reconciliation.”

All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Alh Muhammad Sani Dattijo, has said the North West zone is critical to the party’s victory in 2023.

According to him, in 2015 the total votes cast for APC (President Buhari) was 46 %, while in 2019 the total votes cast dropped to 39%.

Dattijo, a former chief of staff at Government House, Kaduna, said this while speaking at the APC stakeholders Forum, Northwest zone conference held in Kaduna.

He explained that the repeat of the same victory for the party come 2023 means North West is critical to APC’s victory in 2023

“North West is responsible for APC success in the last election because North West is critical to APC victory. What we will do same in the coming coming elections,” he said.

In his remarks, the National President of Think Nigeria Group, Alh Nasiru Ladan, noted that the issue of region or religion should not be the yardstick to measure candidates but rather their track records.

He said once Nigeria gets it right, the country’s journey to greatness is assured.

Earlier, the National President of the APC stakeholders’ Forum, organizers of the conference, Abdullahi Aliyu Katsina, remarked that the conference was organised for party members in the zone not to relent in ensuring that APC remains the party to beat in next year’s election.

He expressed optimism about the party’s victory in 2023 and counseled every support group in the zone to work hard for the party to retain power.

The Presidency on Wednesday said that President Muhammadu Buhari will not indulge in any form of anti-party or betray candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in the 2023 elections.

The Presidency also warned aggrieved members of the APC that dumped the party or those that are in court against its official candidates that they are on their own, adding that nobody outside the party tent should link what they are doing to President Buhari.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu titled, “For 2023, no Villa candidates, only APC candidates.”

The statement read: “The Presidency wishes to put it on record, and at the same time, reassure faithful party members that President Muhammadu Buhari remains a ‘disciplined soldier’ of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and will, in all the coming elections, support only those candidates fielded by the party and no other.

“This is a warning to decamped party members and some others who are still in court against official candidates of the APC that they are on their own and nobody outside the party tent should link what they are doing to President Buhari.

“The President wishes to be quoted as saying that he is the “occupant of the high office of the President by the Grace of God who used the instrumentality of the APC to bring him to power with a historic verdict in 2015.” In 2019, he was returned with a bigger majority.

“For the first time, a non-PDP government came to power with a huge majority after 16 years of the Fourth Republic. His constant refrain is: “I will not betray or undermine my party by supporting candidates other than those of the APC.”

This statement is not against any particular candidate. However, our stand is clear that only those candidates fielded by the All Progressives Candidates, APC will enjoy the support of the President and they are the ones he will campaign for. However, we welcome support for our candidates at all levels by other parties.

“The President says he will continue to support the party at all levels to enforce discipline, synchronization and coordination.

“He also directs officials in and around the Presidential Villa and all those engaging in loose talk to resist making controversial statements that eventually end up hurting the party and the government, thereby providing a weapon for the opposition to use against the administration, the party or its candidates in the coming elections.”