Pastor Tunde Bakare, General Overseer of Citadel Global Community Church, has addressed longstanding speculation about a supposed power transfer arrangement between himself and former President Muhammadu Buhari, stating that no formal agreement existed.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Bakare acknowledged that while Buhari may have favoured him as a potential successor, there was never any written pact to that effect.
Bakare, who was Buhari’s running mate in the 2011 presidential election under the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), emphasised his respect for the late leader, who passed away on Sunday.
“There was no written pact between us,” he stated. “He’s late. I will never say anything unfair about him. But there was a kind of look, ‘you’re one of those I would love to succeed me’, and he did his best.”
The cleric also recounted Buhari’s approach to succession planning ahead of the 2023 elections. According to Bakare, the former president convened a meeting with All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirants and encouraged them to freely select his successor, mirroring the autonomy he granted governors in choosing their successors or seeking re-election.
“I have allowed governors to choose those who will succeed them or go for a second term,” Bakare quoted Buhari as saying. “I’m asking you today to freely choose the person I desire to succeed me.”
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cc: Daily Post Ng
