Secretary to federal government declares that Buhari will definitely stand for election next year

SECRETARY to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha has emphatically declared that President Muhammadu Buhari would seek re-election in 2019 ending speculation about whether his principal will stand down at the end of his first term.

Elected in 2015, President Buhari is constitutionally eligible to seek a second term when elections hold in February 2019 but so far has not officially declared. Over recent months, there have been calls for President Buhari to stand down and retire as a combination of his ill health and the fact that he appears to have run out of steam have made his government rudderless.

Among those who asked the president not to seek a second term are one of his predecessors Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who advised President Buhari to retire to Daura. However, quashing such hopes, at a rally organised by the Democratic Youth Congress (DYC) at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, Mr Mustapha said President Buhari is about the only option Nigerians have to salvage the rot in the country.

He added: “I am glad that you have mentioned some of the persons who are interested in leading this country but if you give them the ticket, they will do nothing with it because they have nothing to offer to this country. You and I are here because we believe President Buhari has the right credentials to rule this country, we do not have an alternative to the president for now.”

Mr Mustapha stated that President Buhari is an embodiment of the change mantra that the All Progressives Congress (APC) stands for. He added that President Buhari)did everything to fight indiscipline as military head of state.

“Buhari is a man with several qualities of leadership, a God send and his coming is divine to rescue this country from total collapse due to the destruction that has been done to the economy by the past administration. We all know that Buhari is transparent and honest and he has come with the change philosophy.

"He has lived for these in order to bring change to Nigeria, as since his military days, he stood to fight corruption, indiscipline among others. Many people fear him because he does not compromise corruption and corrupt people are afraid that they will be brought to book," Mr Mustapha added.

Speaking earlier, the convener of the rally and DYC national chairman, Hon Kassim Mohammed Kassim, made it known that his team was ready, committed and dedicated to work for President Buhari to be reinstalled in 2019 as president. He explained that they are working around the 36 states of Nigeria including Abuja for the actualisation of President Buhari’s continuity beyond 2019.