Bakare had during an interview in 2019, suggested he will take over from Buhari as Nigeria’s 16th president.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Lawyer and General Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, (CGCC), Pastor Tunde Bakare has cleared the air on an earlier assertion that he will succeed late ex-President, Muhammadu Buhari, saying they had no written agreement with him.
He made the clarification on Monday while featuring on Channels Television programme, Politics Today.
In 2019, Bakare during an interview in Calgary Canada, suggested he will take over from Buhari as Nigeria’s 16th president.
He also said he informed the late ex-president about his plan, just so he is not misunderstood.
He said, “I told Mr. President because I don’t want to be misunderstood, because these things are being aired all over the world.
“I said Mr. President, I am building a political family for future political aspirations; you’re number 15, I’d be number 16.”
While speaking during his latest interview with Channels TV, Bakare made it clear that there was no written pact between him and the former president that he’ll succeed him after his second term.
He, however, hinted that Buhari would have preferred him as his successor.
“There was no written pact between us.
“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,” he said.
Bakare further revealed that Buhari invited all presidential aspirants to a meeting ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries, where he urged them to freely choose his successor.
According to him, Buhari said: “I have allowed governors to choose those who will succeed them or go for a second term.
“I’m asking you today to freely choose the person I desire to succeed me.”
Buhari, who ruled as a military head of state from 1983 to 1985, was later elected as a civilian president and was in office from 2015 to 2023.
