President Muhammadu Buhari has officially declared his intention to seek reelection as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The President made tjhe declartion today at the National Executive Committee NEC meeting of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in Abuja.
Confirming the declaration, the Presidency in its officially twitter handle @NGRPresident tweeted:
President @MBuhari has just announced his intention to seek the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and contest for a second term of Office in the 2019 elections.— Presidency Nigeria (@NGRPresident) April 9, 2018
Mr. Buhari made the declaration after the media had left the NEC hall of APC secretariat in Abuja.
While the president has long indicated he will seek a second term of four years, this is his first public announcement.
Mr. Buhari took office on May 29, 2015 after defeating then incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan in the presidential election of that year.
One of his major backers in that election, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in January advised him to drop his reelection bid, saying his administration had been a monumental failure.
The Northern Elders Forum also expressed its reluctance to back Mr. Buhari in the coming election, saying he had so far failed to impress.
But the governors elected on the platform of the APC have repeatedly called on the President to run, with one of them, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, saying his state would sue should the president decline to seek reelection.
Meanwhile, the President has said that the current leadership of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) led by John Odigie-Oyegun is not eligible to seek re-election in the forthcoming congresses and national convention of the party.
Mr. Buhari, who spoke at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the APC at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja on Monday said based on the provision of Section 30 (1) (3), any officer currently serving and wants to seek re-election must resign their appointments 30 days before the election.
The president said based on that provision, the current National Working Committee (NWC) led by Mr. Oyegun and other officials across the states are not eligible to run.
He, however, said if they choose to seek re-election, they might be allowed through waiver.
Mr. Buhari said if the party wishes to grant such waiver, “a statement granting the waiver should be issued by the party immediately.”
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