President Muhammadu Buhari will not handpick a successor at the end of his tenure, the Presidency has assured on Monday.
The President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity President, Femi Adesina, gave the assurance on Monday evening while responding to issues on the Channels Television programme, Politics Today.
Buhari’s deputy, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has been tipped in many circles to succeed the President in 2023.
On Pastor Bakare’s advice, Adesina said the President will ensure not to leave the office for looters, but he will not take steps that will circumvent the electoral process.
He said although the President will be very interested in who succeeds him, he will not bend rules or manipulate the electoral process, saying “we know him, he is not somebody like that.
“The president will not pick a successor. Will he be interested in the process? Yes he will. He will ensure that there is a free, fair and credible election; that nobody will come to use money and resources to bamboozle his way into the leadership of the country.
“It will not happen. The president will ensure free, fair and credible process but to hand pick a successor? No, he will not do that.”
On if President Buhari was listening to the advice by his friend, Pastor Bakare, Adesina said: “The President will ensure that Nigeria is in safe hands. There is no point having worked, having made gains, having made advances since 2015-2023, to hand Nigeria over to those who will take her back or hand Nigeria over to looters once again or you allow looters to allow stolen funds to work for them to seize power. No, that will not happen.
“The President will be interested that much in who succeeds him but he is not going to impose anybody. Rather, he is going to create a free and fair process and Nigerians are then going to determine who the next president should be.”
