The Presidency has made it clear that President Muhammadu Buhari will not stay beyond the May 29 constitutionally accepted date.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that this was disclosed by Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, during a conversation with journalists at the State House Mosque on Friday.
Shehu was responding to rumours in certain quarters that an Interim National Government will be established rather than handing over to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who won the presidential election on February 25th, 2023.
The presidential aide emphasised that President Buhari has no intention of altering the constitution to stay in power or to create an interim national government. However, some persuaders have been advising the President to stay in power by modifying the rules or changing the constitution.
Shehu, on the other hand, reassured Nigerians that President Buhari is committed to handing over to the next administration by May 29, 2023, and that the date will not be changed.
He said: “Nigerians can rest assured that from here, nothing will change. Before this time, persuaders would have filled up this place, begging the President to stay, amend the constitution, and change the rules.
“But given his own disposition, nobody would dare come into the Villa today and say, President Buhari, stay back, don’t hand over,” Shehu assured.
It will be recalled that the Department of State Services (DSS) recently confirmed that some misguided politicians were plotting to disrupt the handover to a new administration on May 29. However, the DSS added that it would do everything within its power to ensure a smooth and peaceful handover to a new government.
