I Won’t Impose My Successor, Buhari Tells Bakare

January 7, 2020

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday told the Senior Pastor of Latter Rain Assembly, Tunde Bakare, that he will not impose his successor in 2023.

The position followed the call on Sunday by Bakare that President Buhari should be involved in choosing who succeeds him.

But speaking on Channels Television’s “Politics Today” on Monday, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said contrary to the call, President Buhari will ensure that the process of choosing his successor will be free, fair and credible.

Adesina added that though the President is interested in who would succeed him, but will not pick a successor.

He said: “The President knows that by May 2023, he would have finished his second term as president.

“Pastor Bakare has said he should be interested in who succeeds him.

“He would be interested in who succeeds him, but he will not manipulate the process to pick a successor.

“The President will not pick a successor, if you know him.

“He is not somebody like that, but yes he will be interested in the process and he has said that he will ensure that there will be a free, fair and credible process.

“Nobody will come to use money and resources to bamboozle his way to the leadership of the country, it will not happen.”

Adesina further stressed that the President will ensure that his successor builds on the gains of his administration and will not allow looters to find their way to power.

He said: “The President will ensure that Nigeria is in safe hands.

“There is no point having worked from 2015 to 2023, having made gains, advances and then hand Nigeria over to looters once again or to allow looters use stolen funds to seize power.

“Every position you hold which has a time limit, you should begin to think and plan towards the final day in that position,” Adesina said.