Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, has affirmed that his principal has a preferred presidential candidate.
Adesina, who refused to mention the person in an interview on Channels Television, noted that the president himself is interested in the process.
He said, “In a previous interview when the president was asked whether he had a favorite candidate, he answered yes; but he will not mention him because mischief may happen to that person.
“That shows you that the president himself is interested in the process and he has a preferred candidate; but whether he will impose his candidate is what you cannot determine at the moment.”
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Meanwhile, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has announced his withdrawal from the 2023 presidential race.
This comes barely 48 hours after President Buhari ordered all members of the Federal Executive Council interested in running for elective positions in the 2023 general elections, to tender their resignation on or before May 16.
Ngige while announcing his withdrawal from the race today, May 13, said he took the “momentous decision” in the interest of the nation and to enable him to concentrate on his job.
Dr. Chris Ngige, Nigerian Minister of Labour and Productivity
“Today, 13th May 2022, I had an audience with the President Muhammadu Buhari, as a follow up to the one I earlier had with him on 11th May 2022. Having also consulted widely with my family, constituents, supporters and well-wishers, it is my pleasure to announce the withdrawal of my interest and earlier decision to contest the office of the president in the 2023 general election.
”As a result of this, I will NOT be participating in any of the internal party processes of the said election, starting with the primary,” he said.
Ngige said he chose to pull out of the race to assist the President and the federal government to “weather the difficult last lap” of the administration.
