Tinubu remains Buhari’s candidate, no plan for interim – Presidency

The Presidency, on Friday, said there are no plans by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to extend his tenure beyond May 29, 2023, or install an interim government.

“Let us clearly, specifically, and emphatically state that there is absolutely no truth to the claim that President Muhammadu Buhari is working towards an interim government or even worse, the truncation of democracy,” a statement signed by Buhari’s spokesperson, Garba Shehu, read on Friday.

The statement is titled, ‘Stop the joke about interim government, elections will hold.’

Shehu said, “The President looks forward to handing over the reins of power to his elected successor. This will happen on May 29, 2023, as the Constitution requires.

“What should be made crystal clear to the doubters and the speculators and the untruth-tellers is that in no way was the naira swap ‘engineered’ to keep the President in office beyond May 29. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

The presidency stated this while responding to claims by some governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress that Buhari’s insistence on the new naira policy was to trigger chaos that would necessitate the imposition of an interim government.

In his 7am broadcast on Thursday, the President declared that only old N200 notes would be valid until April 10.

N500 and N1000 notes, he said, must be returned to the CBN on or before February 17.

In separate interviews, Governors Nasir El-Rufai and Abdullahi Ganduje of Kaduna and Kano states, respectively, claimed that the policy would lead to more crises that would hinder elections and usher in an interim government.

They also argued that the new naira policy, which had sparked pockets of protests and riots nationwide, was a plot to make the APC unpopular and thwart the chances of its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.

However, the presidency denied the allegations, saying the talk of an interim government was “way off the mark.”

“Those who peddle it stand to gain nothing at all but the creation of panic and the incitement of the public against the Federal Government.

“It is another dangerous dimension by people who are afraid that they may lose their elections,” it added.

According to the presidency, there is a lot of pressure on everyone, including the party, its elected officials, candidates, and law enforcement agencies following the recent turn of events.

“It is precisely because the President is concerned with this problem that he opened several avenues for consultation with leaders and groups across the country, culminating in his broadcast to the nation on Thursday morning.

“In line with the speech, his clear and unequivocal directive is that the problem of cash supply must be addressed without delay.

“While this is being done, there is no need to panic. We need to work together as leaders, as a people, and as one nation.

“When panic hits, people go into overdrive. Shouting helps no one because no one can listen,” Shehu added.

On the February 25 elections, the presidency assured Nigerians that the exercise would hold.

The presidency also asserted that Buhari’s favoured successor remained the APC flag bearer, Tinubu.

(Punch)