Buhari Declares Intention To Run For Second Time
President Muhammadu Buhari has declared the intention to run for the second term after months of speculation.
The President said this on Monday at a meeting of the National
Executive Committee (NEC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)
leadership.
The national publicity secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi and the
Chief Whip, House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa confirmed
this while addressing journalists in Abuja after the NEC meeting.
The NEC meeting is attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate
President Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu
Dogara and other APC governors.
Special adviser to the President on New media and engagement, Bashir
Ahmad in a tweet on his official handle @BashirAhmaad also confirmed the
President’s declaration.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has just officially announced his
intention to seek re-election in 2019. Details soon…” his tweet read.
Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai also in a tweet on his verified
handle @elrufai made the announcement, excitedly. El Rufai is one of
the state governors who have continuously asked President Buhari to seek
re-election
‘Buhari must seek re-election’
Buhari’s decision to officially declare the intention to run for the
second term follows various speculations. Many APC governors had however
endorsed him for second term.
Governor El-Rufai earlier this year led some governors to the presidential villa asking President Buhari to seek reelection.
The governors include Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Abdullahi Ganduje
of Kano, Simon Lalong of Plateau State, Abubakar Bello of Niger State,
Jibrilla Bindow of Adamawa State and Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe State.
“We are politicians and those of us that you see here want the
President to contest for a second term of office. So, everything is
about 2019; there is no hiding that. We have no apologies for that.
“We believe in the President, we want him to keep running the country
in the right direction. So, people can speculate about 2019; we have no
apologies,” El-Rufai said.
The APC in Kano State and the state governor had also thrown their
weight behind the President.
They hinged their endorsement of the
President on the progress made in the last two years, especially in the
fields of security, the war against corruption and the restructuring of
the economy.
Ganduje also threatened to take legal action again Buhari if he did not declare intention for re-election.
President Muhammadu Buhari in February asked the state governors to
give him more time to decide whether he will seek re-election in 2019.
Obasanjo’s Advice
Meanwhile, Former President Olusegun Obasanjo in a 13-page statement
had blasted President Buhari and advised him not to seek re-election in
2019.
The statement which was released in January this year said Buhari
should not toy with the patience of Nigerians but should in a dignified
way dismount from the horse (seat of power).
“President Buhari needs a dignified and honourable dismount from the
horse. He needs to have time to reflect, refurbish physically and recoup
and after appropriate rest, once again, join the stock of Nigerian
leaders whose experience, influence, wisdom and outreach can be deployed
on the sideline for the good of the country. His place in history is
already assured,” Obasanjo said in the public statement.
Source: Channelstv.com
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