President Muhammadu Buhari has disclosed that he couldn’t handpick a preferred successor in the build-up to the APC Presidential primary election, because most of the people on the list were his appointees and because “my vice president was listening to our conversation.”
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was one of the aspirants who jostled for the APC presidential ticket. He eventually polled third behind ex-Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi and former Lagos Governor Bola Tinubu.
The president opened up on his perceived ‘neutrality’ ahead of the vote, in Katsina, while paying a Sallah visit to the Emir of Katsina, Dr. Abdulmumin Usman Kabir, at his palace, on Saturday.
Speaking on what transpired before the emergence of Bola Tinubu as the APC flag-bearer, Buhari explained that the delegates were given a free hand to settle on a candidate of their choosing, in adherence to the internal democracy doctrine in the APC.
According to Buhari, “party leaders initially gave me a list of thirty presidential aspirants, out of which I was asked to pick a candidate of my choice.”
Speaking in Hausa, the president continued; “I was given a list of thirty (30) aspirants to pick from. Most of them were my ministers and governors. So, who will I choose or support?
“One of the governors even came to see me and asked who are we to choose?
“If I do that, it would affect my vice president because he was listening to our conversation. I then told them to choose who they want.
“So, they elected Tinubu as APC presidential candidate.”
He added, “I hope the forthcoming (2023) general elections would also be peaceful just like the way APC conducted its congress where they elected the party’s National Chairman, the presidential candidate and how the presidential candidate picked his running mate.
“I hope God will help us to conduct the general elections peacefully.”
Katsina Governor Aminu Masari later saw the President off to the Umaru Musa Yar’dua Airport where he took off for Abuja in a Nigeria Air force Aircraft.