*Urges Nigerians to vote according to their conscience
*Ruling party will win not less than 28 states, Lawan boasts
Deji Elumoye, Sunday Aborisade in Abuja and Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday predicted victory for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the governorship and state of House of Assembly elections across the country.
This is as Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, said the president is committed to a peaceful transition on May 29.
The President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, has also expressed confidence that the APC will win not less than 28 states.
Speaking with journalists after casting his vote at Ward A, Sarkin Yara Polling Unit, 003 in his country home Daura in Katsina State, Buhari said: “I am sure we are going to win, again.’’
According to him, “Nigerians trust us because we mean what we say and say what we mean. We have maintained that trust. We told Nigerians that we will work for them, and we have done our best in education and health facilities, and Nigerians appreciate our efforts.”
The president urged the electorate to follow their conscience in choosing the right leaders, both state executives and legislatures, admonishing that the era of vote buying had been diminished.
“I am aware that the money is not there like before for people to sway voters like they used to do. And if they bring out money now, the people should pocket it and still vote their conscience,’’ he said.
President Buhari noted that he was not surprised at the results of the presidential elections on February 25, 2023, which saw Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerging as President-elect since the APC campaigns were thorough and detailed.
The president noted that the APC followed the constitutional procedure for the entire electoral process, choosing a party Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, who had served as a two-term Governor in Nasarawa State, and legislator in the Senate, with experience that would secure the electoral value and relevance of the party.
On deepening the democratic culture and rising awareness among Nigerians, President Buhari said the media had played a major role in empowering people with information on their rights and providing a platform for voters to challenge leaders on promises and records.
He said: “The media is doing very well creating awareness and enabling the right conversation. You can hear the tough questions for leaders during interviews on TV, radio, and other platforms, and the journalists always press for answers.”
Meanwhile, President Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Gambari, said the president is committed to a peaceful transition on May 29.
Speaking after casting his vote at Polling Unit 004 Akanbi ward, in Ilorin, Kwara State capital. Prof. Gambari expressed delight about the peaceful conduct of the election, commending voters at the polling unit, which hosts fourth booths, for their orderly conduct.
Meanwhile, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and his wife, Dolapo Osinbajo, yesterday voted at the Egunrege Polling Unit 14, Ward 1 in Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State, where he expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election.
Speaking afterward with journalists, the vice president said: “From here at my polling unit, it is excellent. The whole process has been conducted very well, and I just hope and pray that this is how it is being carried out across the nation.
“It has been a very pleasant experience. I am glad that I can cast my votes, and so many others who want to cast their votes have been able to do so,” he added.
In a related development, the president of the Senate, Lawan, has expressed confidence that the APC will win not less than 28 states.
Lawan spoke while responding to questions from journalists at the Katuzu ward polling unit in Bade Local Government Area of Yobe State, where he cast his vote during the governorship and state House of Assembly elections.
In a statement issued yesterday by his Special Adviser on Media, Ola Awoniyi, the Senate president said: “We are in control of the National Assembly. We have won the presidency. We will win nothing less than 28 states at the end of this election.”
“The APC and the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari deserve credit that we have allowed the process to be entirely determined by the guidelines and regulations of INEC. That we don’t use our incumbency factor to stop other political parties or opposition from winning in areas that are strong APC enclaves,” he added.
