April 9, 2018

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday in Abuja declared his intention to seek re-election in 2019.

Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity confirmed this development in a statement in Abuja on Monday.

He said that the President made the declaration at a closed-door meeting of the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja.

The presidential aide quoted President Buhari as saying that he was responding to the clamour by Nigerians to re-contest in 2019, adding that he wanted to give the NEC, the honour of notifying them first.

President Buhari, who had earlier presented a speech on the report submitted by the APC National Executive Technical Committee, specifically thanked members of the committee for carrying out the assignment on time.

“It shows a great sense of commitment to the ideals of our party with a view to consolidating and positioning the party to continue delivering good governance in the overall interest of Nigerians.

“With the present state of the party and based on the report submitted by the Technical Committee, it is important to focus on how to move the party forward by avoiding actions detrimental to the interest of the party.

“Considering that politics is a game of numbers, we must not be a house divided against itself and must try to note, appreciate and accommodate our differences as far as the law permits.

“Upon my review of the Report, my position is to ensure that the party tows the path of unity, legality and cohesion and not that of division,’’ he said.