President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he was not interested in who becomes the next president of the country in 2023 when he leaves office.
Buhari said this during an exclusive interview with Channels Television on Wednesday night.
According to Buhari, the legacy and his record are important than who occupies Aso Rock Villa when his second term in office elapses in May 2023.
The president said though he has no favourite, such a person ‘may be eliminated’ if he mentions his name.
He expressed;
I’m not interested. It is not my problem. It is not my interest. I cannot say who succeeds me or talks about it. I may be eliminated if I mention it. I think it’s better I keep quiet.
Mr Buhari will round off his second term in office next year and is not constitutionally eligible to contest again.
Some of those believed to be interested in succeeding Mr Buhari within the APC is Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and ex-Lagos governor Bola Tinubu; although neither of them has publicly declared his interest to contest.
Also, reports that Mr Osinbajo had, on New Year’s day, discussed his political ambition with the president, were dismissed by his media aide.
The spokesperson to the VP, Laolu Akande, asked Nigerians to disregard the speculation as his boss never met with Mr Buhari as reported.
“If there is an update, I will ensure the media is made aware, please ignore the lies and many are going to still come,” Mr Akande was reported to have said.
There are also speculations that the APC is wooing former President Goodluck Jonathan to run for president on its platform.
Mr Jonathan, who was the presidential candidate of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 election, lost to Mr Buhari.
The former president is yet to speak on the speculations, though his media handlers have since dismissed the report,
With its national convention already slated for February, the ruling APC has remained hush on the zoning of its presidential ticket.
However, there are speculations that the ticket will be micro zoned to the south-west.
