The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Femi Adesina, has on Thursday slammed Nigerians for criticising his principal over his remark on the identity of the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on Tuesday asked the APC governors to support him in the bid to pick his successor next year.
He said: “In keeping with the established internal policies of the party and as we approach the convention in a few days, therefore, I wish to solicit the reciprocity and support of the governors and other stakeholders in picking my successor, who would fly the flag of our party for election into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023.”
The remark has attracted backlash from Nigerians with many accusing Buhari of plotting to impose a candidate on the party and alter the elections in favour of the party.
Femi, who reacted to the development on his Facebook page, berated Nigerians for wailing about insignificant issues.
He dismissed the interpretation as ‘otiose’ and ‘puerile’, adding the President has no plan to impose any candidate on the APC
The presidential aide stressed that Buhari was trying to bring the party members and aspirants together in order to pick a consensus candidate.
He said: “Let me reverse a bit to Tuesday, and the meeting the president held with the Progressives Governors’ Forum before we left Abuja.
“President Buhari told them of what he would like to see at the All Progressive Congress (APC) primary to elect a presidential candidate next week. No word about zoning, consensus, or imposition of candidates. He just charged them to let their plans converge so that the party would put its best foot forward.
“I went to social media shortly after. Trust some Nigerians. When there is no controversy, they simply create one. They will die of boredom if they don’t have something to wail or ululate about.
“What were they bellyaching on? Oh, he used the word my successor, instead of the APC candidate. That means he wants to rig the elections. Otiose.
“Oh, he talked about governors who performed well being given the opportunity to get a second term, for continuity. That means he wants to impose someone from within the government to succeed him. Consensus is what he wants. Puerile.
“Is consensus not one of the acceptable ways of choosing candidates, according to the Electoral Act. So the part can jolly well to decide on the method it wants. Oh, he didn’t talk about zoning. APC wants to give its ticket to the North. Really? Did you see anything like that in the speech?
“When some Nigerians don’t see what they expect in a speech or statement, they simply conjure and create their own. And the wailing starts.
