Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari ,Femi Adeshina

Special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Femi Adeshina says the president will not rig the process to pave way for his successor in 2023.

Adesina was reacting to a statement by Tunde Bakare, serving overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly (LRA), who implored the president to be part and parcel of the process that would throw up his successor in order to build on and consolidate his legacies.

Adesina made this known when he featured in a programme on Channels Television on Monday, noting that,though, his principal is interested in who succeeds him, he will not engage in dubious tactics that undermine the process and favour anyone.

“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.”

Adesina added that Buhari will not hand Nigeria over to those who would take her back or hand Nigeria over to looters once again.

“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.