What Buhari Told Governors About His Successor Before Traveling To Spain – Adesina

The Senior Media Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina, has offered an insight into what the President, told members of the Progressives Governors’ Forum about picking his successor.

Buhari held a closed-door session with the governors before jetting to Spain on Tuesday wherein the president reportedly demanded that the governors should allow him to choose his successor.

The president’s demand has reverberated across the political space with huge public disapproval, with many describing it as undemocratic and a route to political crisis.

Buhari had said, “In keeping with the established internal policies of the party and as we approach the convention in a few days, therefore, I wish to solicit the reciprocity and support of the governors and other stakeholders in picking my successor, who would fly the flag of our party for election into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023.”

However, Adesina, in a paper titled, ‘Visit to Spain: Let’s Buga for Mr President’, where he also spoke about the president’s visit to Spain denied that the president indeed asked the governors to pick his successor.

He also denied that issues bordering on zoning, consensus, or imposition of candidates were discussed during his conversation with the governors.

“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,” he wrote on Friday.

He noted that, “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.”