The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says President Muhammadu Buhari should withdraw his unnecessary remark in his new year message about “standing down” in 2023, as he and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), would have no other option than to exit office at the end of this tenure.

The party described President Buhari’s new year message as completely uninspiring, tasteless, repetitive, vacuous, adding that it does not galvanize any form of hope for a despairing nation.

The PDP held that President Buhari should stop presenting a picture as if he has the option to continue in office beyond 2023.

The PDP in its communique further stated that total submission to the letter and spirit of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), that it is not an issue of “standing down” or not being “available” for future election, but a decided and inevitable position as contained in the constitution that he must quit office after two terms which will end in 2023.

“Mr. President, therefore, does not have any other choice before the law. Whether President Buhari likes it or not, he and his APC will exit the arena at the end of this tenure. History is replete with lessons from those who sought to stretch our nation beyond her limits”.

“Moreover, President Buhari and his extinguishing APC ought to have known by now that Nigerians have moved ahead and cannot wait to see them go,” the opposition party stated in a communique by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan.

The party asked President Buhari to end what it termed a “showboating”, by issuing a fresh new year message to demonstrate a commitment to electoral reforms by returning the 8th Assembly Electoral Act amendment bill.