President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday said he could not escape being held responsible for All Progressives Congress (APC) loss in Edo State governorship poll.
But he said it was important for him to develop in the country a political culture based on integrity and build his party on a “civilized basis, rule of law and respect for human rights and human beings.”
Buhari spoke in his Abuja office while receiving Governor Godwin Obaseki who won the election after defeating the APC candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
Obaseki, who was accompanied by his deputy Philip Shaibu and other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders, ruled out a return to the APC from which he switched camps to the PDP.
He said going back to his former party would be immoral.
But the chairman of his campaign council, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, said the Edo governor was free to leave the PDP if he found that his new party was not working for him.
Wike, who featured in a television programme, also spoke on why he thought Police Inspector General Mohammed Adamu wanted him out of Edo State during the election.
He said it was because of some previous roles he (Wike) played, which did not go down well with the police authorities.
Buhari, at the meeting with Obaseki and Shaibu, said it was his duty to “preside over all Nigerian interests, whether I like it or not.”
Continuing, he said: “My single desire is to make sure that innocent people don’t suffer. That message I got across to the Inspector General of Police, that elections must be free and fair.
“If contestants have too much money and they decide to spray, so be it. But what I insist (on) is (that) nobody should go and raise a counter force to the government, arm heavily-drugged thugs to go and humiliate people.”
“I want Nigerians to appreciate that I respect them as Nigerians and that I am bound by the oath I have taken that their security is in the hands of God and in the hands of the government which I am leading.
”We have lost states across the country. Now I do not like to escape the responsibility, seeing as the leader of the country, I am also the leader of my party, that I am not leading the party very well.
“I am trying to make sure that the party is built on a civilized basis, rule of law and respect for human rights and human beings, right from polling units to local governments, to states up to Abuja, and that’s what I have been insisting (on) as my contribution to the National Working Committee and executive of the party.
“I know we are a developing country, a developing economy and trying to develop our political culture.
“I want the development of political culture to be based on integrity and accountability. Let people work very hard and earn what they are looking for through their hard work and through fair competition.”
He added jokingly: “I thank you for bringing your deputy and supporters to come and see me after beating my party.”
He also said he was congratulating Obaseki ”reluctantly” because he defeated the APC candidate.
