I asked him about how they came to swear allegiance to Abu Bakr and he said - when telling him about what the Ansar said and what Abu Bakr said to them and what ʿUmar bin al-Khattab said to the Ansar when he reminded them that he had led them in prayer on the instructions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he was sick. They swore allegiance to me because of that and I Accepted it from them, but I was concerned that there would be turmoil that would lead to apostasy,  

اللَّخْمِيِّعَنْ رَافِعٍ الطَّائِيِّ رَفِيقِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ فِي غَزْوَةِ السُّلاسِلِ قَالَ وَسَأَلْتُهُ عَمَّا قِيلَ مِنْ بَيْعَتِهِمْ فَقَالَ وَهُوَ يُحَدِّثُهُ عَمَّا تَكَلَّمَتْ بِهِ الْأَنْصَارُ وَمَا كَلَّمَهُمْ بِهِ وَمَا كَلَّمَ بِهِ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ الْأَنْصَارَ وَمَا ذَكَّرَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ إِمَامَتِي إِيَّاهُمْ بِأَمْرِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِي مَرَضِهِ فَبَايَعُونِي لِذَلِكَ وَقَبِلْتُهَا مِنْهُمْ وَتَخَوَّفْتُ أَنْ تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ وتَكُونُ بَعْدَهَا رِدَّةٌ