The Presidency has said that President Muhammadu Buhari will not manipulate the process to pick a successor ahead of the 2023 Presidential elections.

The response follows a call by the Senior Pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly, Tunde Bakare, who asked President Muhammadu Buhari not to sit on the fence when it comes to choosing his successor.

Speaking on Channels Television Politics Today on Monday, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, stressed that contrary to call, President Buhari will ensure that the process is free, fair and credible.

He added that though the president is interested in who would succeed him, but will not pick a successor.

“The president knows that by May 2023, he would have finished his second term as president; Pastor Bakare has said he should be interested in who succeeds him, he would be interested in who succeeds him, but he will not manipulate the process to pick a successor”.

“The president will not pick a successor if you know him, he is not somebody like that, but yes he will be interested in the process and he has said that he will ensure that there will be a free, fair and credible process and nobody will come to use money and resources to bamboozle his way to the leadership of the country, it will not happen.”

Mr Adesina also stressed that the president will ensure that his successor builds on the gains of his administration and will not allow looters to find their way to power.

“The president will ensure that Nigeria is in safe hands, there is no point having worked from 2015 to 2023, having made gains, advances and then hand Nigeria over to looters once again or to allow looters use stolen funds to seize power”.

“Every position you hold which has a time limit, you should begin to think and plan towards the final day in that position.”