Presidency Denies Claims That Buhari Sought Governors’ Help To Pick Successor

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has said that claims that President Muhammadu Buhari sought the help of governors under the platform of the All Progressives Congress to pick his successor is false.

According to the image maker, the Buhari’s meeting the governors was to disclose his expectation for the June 6 presidential primary of the party.

Adesina made this known in a piece titled, ‘Visit to Spain: Let’s Buga for Mr President’.

The presidential spokesman said the essence of the meeting was to ensure that the party presents a credible candidate for the 2023 general elections and not issues bordering on zoning, consensus, or imposition of candidates

The statement reads, “No word about zoning, consensus, or imposition of candidate. He just charged them to let their plans converge, so that the party would put its best foot forward. Shortly after the meeting, we headed for the airport.

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“A short time into the about five hours flight, I went on social media, to see that all hell had broken loose. Trust some Nigerians. When there’s no controversy, they simply create one. They will die of boredom if they don’t have something to wail or ululate about.

“What were they bellyaching on? Oh, he used the words ‘my successor,’ instead of ‘APC candidate.’ That means he wants to rig the election. Otiose.

“Oh, he talked about Governors who performed well being given opportunity to get a second term, for continuity. That means he wants to impose someone from within the government to succeed him. Consensus is what he wants. Puerile.

“Is consensus not one of the acceptable ways of choosing candidates, according to the Electoral Act? So the party can jolly well decide on the method it wants.

“Oh, he didn’t talk about zoning. APC wants to give its ticket to the North. Really? Did you see anything like that in the speech?

“I tell you. When some Nigerians don’t see what they expect in a speech or statement, they simply conjure and create their own. And the wailing starts.”