I Won’t Exceed 2023, I Swore By Quran, Says Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari

Nigeria's number one man, President Muhammadu Buhari, Thursday in Lafia, Nasarawa State, said he has sworn by the Holy Quran and cannot go beyond two terms in office.

He noted that leaders who take the oath of office, swearing with the Holy Book must be careful not to abuse the trust of leadership placed on them by the people and God.

Buhari, who is on a two-day state visit to Nasarawa, said this during a courtesy visit to the palace of Emir of Lafia, Sidi Muhammad 1, reaffirmed that he had no intention to stay beyond the constitutionally-recognised two terms of office as President.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, disclosed this in a statement he signed on Thursday titled, ‘President Buhari: leaders who swear by the Holy Book must not abuse public office.’

The statement quoted Buhari as saying that traditional ruler was on a terminal appointment but constitutionally, elected public office holders were not.

The President said, “I cannot go beyond two terms, and I have sworn by the Holy Quran that I will uphold the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Politics apart, whenever we are made to swear by the Holy Quran, we have to be careful. We must make sure that we do not abuse the trust God has given us as leaders. I have seen former governors here, and I am looking forward to becoming a former President.”

Due to the continued delay in signing the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, the main opposition political party, Peoples Democratic Party, on Tuesday said the delay might be a tenure elongation plan by the Buhari regime.

It said, “Less than a year to the 2023 general elections, President Buhari and the APC are at it again. Expectedly, the current anti-people scheme against the Electoral Act Amendment Bill by the APC administration is heightening apprehensions across the country of furtive plots by APC leaders to orchestrate a constitutional impasse that can railroad our democracy into an emergency tenure elongation, induced election postponement, self-succession or worst still an interim government situation.”

However, on Wednesday, a presidential source revealed that Buhari would sign the piece of legislation by noon on Friday.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “All these anxieties will disappear by Friday afternoon. He will be signing the bill around noon of that day. I believe he has taken his time so that the Act can be as unassailable as possible.”