Former Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, has slammed President Muhammadu Buhari for requesting to pick his own successor in 2023, IgbereTV reports
The ex-lawmaker, who said this in a statement on Wednesday, described the request as dictatorial and inhumane.
President Buhari had in a meeting with (APC) governors yesterday communicated his intention to pick the person to succeed him.
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.
“Allow our interests to converge, our focus to remain on the changing dynamics of our environment, the expectations of our citizens and the global community. Our objective must be the victory of our party and our choice of candidate must be someone who would give the Nigerian masses a sense of victory and confidence even before the elections”.
Reacting, Melaye who is a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) condemned the request, adding that the president planned to impose a candidate on Nigerians.
He added that democracy allows orderly process for a political party to choose its candidate to represent it in general elections.
He said: “Yesterday the president made a statement that is sacrilegious, unconstitutional, dictatorial and shows some very inhumane tendencies. The president said the governors of APC should support him to choose his successor.
“The president deliberately used the word successor not flag bearer or candidate of the APC. That statement has some negative import. And the negative concomitant effect is that the president wants to impose a president on Nigerians. We’re in a democracy. We’ll not allow imposition. We’ll not allow the president to handle this country as if we are under a monarchial or hereditary system of government.
“It is sacrilegious, abominable and undemocratic for the president to talk about a successor in an election that has not been conducted. If he says they should support him to get a candidate, that’s another case.
“So I am calling the attention of Nigerians to be on the alert. Because the battle to salvage this country from his economic scavengers is a battle of no retreat, no surrender. We’ll not back down to defend our democracy
