Ahead of the 2023 general election, President Muhammadu Buhari has warned  officials in and around the Presidential Villa to resist making controversial statements that eventually end up hurting the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the government.

Buhari said all those engaging in loose talks are providing a weapon for the opposition to use against the administration, the ruling party or its candidates in the coming elections.

Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, in a statement made available to The Star on Wednesday, reassured faithful party members that President Buhari remains a “disciplined soldier” of the APC.

The President declared that he will, in all the coming elections, support only those candidates fielded by the party and no other.

Buhari said he won’t betray the ruling party by supporting candidates other than those of the APC.

“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.”

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“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.”

Shehu said the President would campaign only for candidates fielded by the APC in 2023.

He said: “This statement is not against any particular candidate. However, our stand is clear that only those candidates fielded by the 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.”

The Star