President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday appeared non-committal on who would succeed him from the All Progressive Congress (APC) in 2023.
Buhari said that he does not care about his successor, declaring he has no favourite in the forthcoming general election.
He, however, said his favourite may be eliminated if he mentions his name.
The President did not explain what he meant by the elimination. It could be political gang-up to frustrate his emergence or killing.
The president stated this in an interview he granted to Channels TV which was televised on Wednesday evening.
According to him, “I am not interested in who becomes the presidential candidate of the ruling APC as I am open to the emergence of anyone.”
Asked by his interviewers if he has a ‘favourite’ candidate within his party to succeed him, the president said though he has no favourite, such a person ‘may be eliminated’ if he mentions his name.
He said: “No. I wouldn’t because the person could be eliminated if I mention it. I better keep it secret.”
The President’s vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Governor Kayode Fayemi are some of the presidential hopeful who have been making spirited moves ahead of the 2023 elections to succeed Buhari.
President Buhari, who will round off his second term in office next year and is not constitutionally eligible to contest again, has repeatedly insisted that he won’t seek any tenure elongation.
On his refusal to assent the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, the president said that it did not provide options for political parties to choose their candidates, saying the options of direct, indirect and consensus should be exploited by the parties.
He said: “Personally, I don’t support direct primaries because I want people to be given a choice. You can’t give them one option and think that you are being democratic.
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“Let them have the three options.”
“I don’t think I told them what I don’t like. All I said is there should be options. We must not insist that it has to be direct. It should be consensus and indirect.”
The president, who also reacted to the issue of State Police, expressed reservations over it, expressing the fear that state police may be abused by state governors.
“State police is not an option. Find out the relationship between local government and the governors. Are the third tier of government getting what they are supposed to get constitutionally? Are they getting it?
“Let the people in local government tell you the truth on the fight between local governments and the governors,” he added.
The president also responded to answers bordering on Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, farmer/herder conflicts, and socio-economic conditions of citizens.
He said he is aware of the poor economic conditions being experienced by Nigerians, adding that he is aware of the pains they are going through.
“I’m absolutely aware of it. But as I said, look at the vastness of Nigeria, only 2.4 per cent of the arable land is being used. We realized it rather too late. We have to go back to the land,” he said.
