Why Buhari refused to name successor — Ex-DSS DG, Yusuf Bichi

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The reasons for outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to openly endorse a successor prior to the 2022 presidential election have recently come to light.

The explanation is found in a recently published book that examines Buhari’s control of power inside the All Progressives Congress (APC), security attitude, and leadership style.

The book, “From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari,” was released in Abuja and offers insider information on important choices made during Buhari’s administration.

The 600-page book, written by Dr. Charles Omole, Director General of the Institute for Police and Security Policy Research (IPSPR), gathers opinions from high-ranking personnel who had direct contact with the former president.

Yusuf Bichi, a former Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), made a significant disclosure when he addressed the ongoing controversy surrounding Buhari’s failure to endorse a preferred candidate during the APC presidential primaries.

Bichi claims that in order to protect lives and preserve party unity, Buhari purposefully refrained from endorsing any candidate.

He revealed that at the time, intelligence sources suggested that publicly supporting a candidate could put that person in danger of serious security threats in a fiercely competitive political environment.

Bichi pointed out that although Buhari’s quiet was frequently misconstrued as a lack of interest, it was actually a calculated, security-driven tactic meant to avert internal strife and potential collapse within the ruling party.

He pointed out that the outgoing president thought that choosing a successor in public would exacerbate rivalries, raise animosity, and possibly put the chosen person in danger.

“In those months, knives were out; politically and, as security professionals know too well, sometimes literally,” Bichi stated in the book.

He continued by saying that Buhari made the decision to take criticism rather than run the risk of upsetting the party or putting lives in jeopardy.

According to the former head of the DSS, Buhari believed that letting the primary process unfold freely helped spread political risk among candidates and avoided focusing animosity on one person.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President Adama Barrow of the Gambia, governors, ministers, diplomats, traditional rulers, and members of Buhari’s family were among the prominent attendees of the book presentation at the Presidential Villa.

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