President Muhammadu Buhari revealed on Thursday that the All Progressives Congress (APC) worked hard to retain power in the recent 2023 elections, while the combined opposition suffered from over-confidence, the main reason why they lost the presidential poll.
Speaking in Abuja at his residence in the State House, where he received the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), led by its chairman, Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, the President stated that the opposition was already telling their foreign backers that they would defeat the APC. Buhari noted that the APC blended confidence with caution, worked hard and won, adding that their overconfidence is creating more problems for the opposition than anyone else.
Buhari further stated that “a combination of over-confidence, complacency and bad tactical moves made them lose, plain and clear. This has created more problems in their camp. Why did they fail to remove us?” In response to an issue raised by Governor Bagudu, the President said: “an important reason I congratulate Asiwaju on winning is that the opposition got support and false hope from outside and went on to create the impression that they will win, that they will defeat us.”
The APC Governors in attendance, in addition to that of Kebbi, were from Plateau, Imo, Kwara, Ekiti, Kaduna, Kogi, Lagos, Cross Rivers, Jigawa, Katsina, Ogun and Nasarawa States, while the Deputy Governors of Kano, Gombe, Borno, and Ebonyi were also in attendance, along with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.
During the visit, the PGF chairman, Atiku Bagudu, said that the visit was ostensibly to say “Happy Sallah” to the President and to thank him for the leadership he had given to the Party and the nation. The Governors congratulated the President on the Party’s victory in the Presidential Poll, saying, “Congratulations, your Party won the Presidency, a majority in the Senate and for being the leading Party in the House of Representatives.
These successes would not have happened without your support.” The President charged the Progressive Governors to stick together and openly address issues among themselves, urging them to have a program to meet regularly and to discuss issues and how to maintain the Party nationwide.
President Buhari spoke at length about his retirement proposal, saying that he intended to be at home in Daura for six months before moving eventually to Kaduna. He thanked Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State for the infrastructure he has provided that would make life for his retirement and that of the people of the state much better, adding that the Governor of Kano State had equally done the same.