The Presidency has said President Muhammadu Buhari will not extend his stay in office after serving two terms on May 29, 2023.

The Presidency said in compliance with the constitution, President Buhari will step down.

It made this known in reaction to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Robert Clarke, who said President Buhari could extend his tenure by six months if insecurity would affect the 2023 general election.

However, the Presidency, in a statement issued and made available to The Star on Tuesday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the May 29, 2023, handover date remains sacrosanct.

The Presidency added that Buhari will hand over to whomever Nigerians elected as President in 2023.

The statement read: “In response to the Senior Advocate of Nigeria’s recent remarks, the Presidency wishes to state as follows:

“Chief Robert Clarke, a very well respected elder may be sincere in his wish for the President to extend his term by six months. We wish to categorically restate that the President will step down on May 29th, 2023, after serving two terms – as per the constitution.

“Having been the first recipient of a democratic transfer of power from an incumbent administration to an opposition candidate in Nigerian history, the President is committed to extending and entrenching democratic values across the country. He shall, in turn, hand the privilege of serving the people of Nigeria to whomever they choose through free, fair, and credible elections.

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“However, Chief Clarke is right to say that without security, Nigeria would not likely realize its true potential as a peaceful and prosperous nation. That is why it has been at the core of this administration.

“The results are there for all to see. Boko Haram terrorists have been forced back from controlling whole swathes of this country. Internally Displaced Persons are now returning to rebuild their communities. This achievement has been accomplished through the bravery and determination of the Nigerian armed forces and the fortitude of the people of our nation.

“New challenges have arisen and tackled in turn – whether it’s the National Livestock Transformation Plan to alleviate herder-farmer clashes, the elimination of the leadership of ISWAP, or new efforts to combat banditry.”

The Presidency noted that till the last day of the President Buhari-led administration, the security of the citizens shall remain the administration’s paramount concern.

It added: “We shall finish the job. Yet, in any case, respect for the constitution and Nigerians’ democratic rights remains the best path to securing and then maintaining peace.

“Yet there are others, such as Chief Afe Babalola, (SAN), that believe elections should be suspended, with the current elected government replaced by an interim unelected administration.

“This, he claims, is necessary to create a new constitution for the people, made possible, paradoxically, by ignoring their democratic rights. Down that path lies crisis and instability.

“Instead, this administration proposes something entirely simpler: honouring the constitution and people’s right to decide,” Shehu stated.

The Star