Former President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday declared that he remains a loyal member of the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) and will continue to support the party.

“I am an APC member, and I like to be addressed as such,” Mr Buhari said in a statement on Thursday by his spokesman, Garba Shehu.

He added, “I will try to popularise the party by all means.”

The former president said his statement is not “referring to any individual, cast of characters, or issues, principles and ideals currently being discussed by party leaders at various levels.”

Mr Buhari added he “wants to leave no one in doubt that he would never turn his back on the party that gave him two terms of office and would do whatever he can to popularise it.”

Although Mr Buhari said his statement is not referring to any one or trending political issues, his statement came hours after former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai claimed the ex-president “told me that he is now a statesman, and we are the politicians.”

Mr El-Rufai, who dumped the APC for SDP on Monday, said, “I met with him (Buhari) on Friday and told him about my consultations in preparation to leave the party. I sought his blessing and prayers and told him about the new party I was joining. And he gave his blessing, prayers and wished me success.”