Femi Adesina, spokesperson to President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the president will not handpick his successor in 2023.
The presidential spokesperson said this when he appeared on a programme on Channels Television on Monday.
Adesina said although Buhari is interested in who succeeds him, but will not do anything to favour anyone.
This was in reaction to a statement by Tunde Bakare, Senior Pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly (LRA), who urged Buhari to play a part in the choice of his successor for the sake of his legacies.
“By May 2023 God willing he would have finished his second term as president, he would not have stood for another term and he will be exiting. So, he has that at the back of his mind,” Adesina said.
“Pastor Bakare said he should be interested in who succeeds him, yes I’m sure the president will be interested in who succeeds him but he will not manipulate the process, to pick a successor.
“The president will not pick a successor. We know him, he is not somebody like that. 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 handpick a successor? No, he will not do that.”
“One thing that is clear is that the president will do whatever is needful before the next set of general elections. Early enough is relative but the president will do whatever is needful,” he said.
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