Fresh details have emerged on why former President Muhammadu Buhari declined to publicly endorse a successor ahead of the 2022 presidential election.
The explanation is contained in a newly published book, From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, which examines Buhari’s leadership style, security philosophy, and approach to power within the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The 600-page book, authored by Dr Charles Omole, Director General of the Institute for Police and Security Policy Research (IPSPR), was unveiled in Abuja and draws on insider accounts from top officials who worked closely with the former president.
Former Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, offered key insight into the long-standing debate over Buhari’s decision not to anoint a preferred candidate during the APC presidential primaries.
According to Bichi, Buhari deliberately avoided endorsing any aspirant for security reasons and to preserve unity within the ruling party. Intelligence assessments at the time, he said, indicated that openly backing a candidate could expose the individual to serious security risks in an already tense political climate.
Bichi noted that Buhari’s silence was widely misinterpreted as indifference, when in reality it was a calculated decision aimed at preventing internal conflict and possible fragmentation of the APC.
He explained that Buhari believed publicly naming a successor would intensify rivalries, heighten hostility, and potentially put the endorsed candidate in physical danger.
“In those months, knives were out—politically and, as security professionals know too well, sometimes literally,” Bichi was quoted as saying in the book.
He added that Buhari chose to endure public criticism rather than risk destabilising the party or endangering lives, stressing that allowing the primary process to run its course helped distribute political risk among aspirants instead of concentrating hostility on a single individual.
The book presentation, held at the Presidential Villa, drew a high-profile audience, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Gambian President Adama Barrow, governors, ministers, diplomats, traditional rulers, and members of Buhari’s family.