The president revealed this on Friday while speaking at the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Buhari also charged leaders of the party that they work hard to make the party attractive to their constituents, so that the party could live beyond his tenure.
President Buhari however lamented the losses that the party had suffered in some of the states it used to rule, citing Imo, Zamfara and Bauchi States.
Speaking on the rumour that he was planning to perpetuate himself in office beyond 2023, the president urged those who were spreading the rumour to read Constitution, saying he is permitted only two terms of office, the second of which he is running already.
“I’m not going to make the mistake of attempting a third term. Beside the age, I swore by the holy book that I would go by the constitution and the constitution said two terms. I know that I’m in my last term and I can afford to be reckless because I’m not going to ask for anybody’s vote.
“I want you to read the constitution. I made sure that when the constitution says the election as we did it the last time will start in 18 months’ time or 20 months’ time. It is going to be done.
“Anybody who fails to maintain the respect of his constituents and is thrown out, it’s his problem. Like the chairman has said, all those who left us to the upper house, none of them were voted by his constituents. You want to take our people for granted but they know what they are doing”, he said.
The President also tasked the leadership of the party to work hard to entrench it so it will last and crystallise into an enduring institution, saying history will be unkind to them should the the party collapse at the end of his administration.
“The aim is that, as I mentioned yesterday, history will not be fair to us out rightly if the APC collapses at the end of this term. History will be fair to us if the APC remains strong and not only holds the center, but make gains. People will reflect with nostalgia that once upon a time, the builders of APC made a lot of sacrifices, worked very hard.
“The sacrifices are physical, material and moral to make sure that we maintain the Leadership, politically of this system. This is what we should all aim at and ensure that our constituencies understand us and follow us to this great objective.
“What we did for you the executive, NWC is bottom to top. you must make sure that people elected to be responsible for polling units to wards to local governments to states to here are respected in their respective constituencies.
“This is the only way we can make this party survive, this is the only way history will be kind to us that we have led with absolute concern for the country and for the people. If for any other reason, you divide the party, at any constituency and it causes failure, then be prepared that history will not recognize you as a leader at any level at any time”, he reiterated.
