May 29, 2023, is sacrosanct and President Muhammadu Buhari will definitively hand over to his successor that day, the presidency has said.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu, said this in reaction to a statement by a senior Nigerian supporter, Robert Clarke.
Clarke suggested that President Buhari can constitutionally extend his term by six months to allow him to address the security challenges facing Nigeria.
In his reaction, Shehu said that Buhari was not considering that.
“Having been the first recipient of a democratic transfer of power from an incumbent administration to an opposition candidate in Nigerian history, the President is committed to extending and consolidating democratic values throughout the country.
“He will, in turn, hand over the privilege of serving the people of Nigeria to whomever he chooses through free, fair and credible elections,” Shehu wrote.
Read Mr. Shehu’s full statement below.
In response to recent statements by Nigeria’s Senior Counsel, the Presidency wishes to state the following:
Chief Robert Clarke, a well-respected elder, may be sincere in his wish that the president extend his term by six months. We want to categorically reaffirm that the president will leave office on May 29, 2023, after serving two terms, according to the constitution.
Having been the first recipient of a democratic transfer of power from an incumbent administration to an opposition candidate in Nigerian history, the President is committed to spreading and consolidating democratic values throughout the country. He, in turn, will hand over the privilege of serving the people of Nigeria to whomever he chooses through free, fair and credible elections.
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However, Chief Clarke is correct in saying that without security, Nigeria would likely fall short of its true potential as a peaceful and prosperous nation. That is why he has been at the center of this administration. The results are there for all to see. Boko Haram has been forced to give up control of entire swathes of this country. Internally displaced people are now returning to rebuild their communities. These achievements have been achieved thanks to the courage and determination of the Nigerian armed forces and the strength of the people of our nation.
New challenges have emerged and been addressed, whether it be the National Livestock Transformation Plan to ease clashes between herders and farmers, the removal of ISWAP leadership, or new efforts to combat banditry. Until the last day of the administration, the security of citizens will continue to be the main concern of the administration. We’ll finish the job. However, in any case, respect for the constitution and the democratic rights of Nigerians remains the best way to secure and then maintain peace.
However, there are others, such as Chief Afe Babalola, who believes that the elections should be suspended and that the current elected government would be replaced by an unelected caretaker administration. This, he claims, is necessary to create a new constitution for the people, possibly paradoxically by ignoring their democratic rights. Down that road lies crisis and instability.
Instead, this administration is proposing something altogether simpler: honor the constitution and the people’s right to decide.
Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media and advertising)
May 10, 2022