Buhari said he would not seek re-election in 2019 – Minister

President Muhammadu Buhari told members of his party before he
was first elected that he would only seek one term, implying he did
not intend at that time to run in 2019, the minister of women’s
affairs told Reuters on Wednesday.

The comments by Aisha Alhassan could heighten uncertainty over
whether Buhari plans to contest the next election. Buhari took
power in 2015 but has been absent for much of this year due to
illness. He is yet to say if he will seek a second term.

“In 2014/2015 he said he was going to run for only one time to
clean up the mess that the (previous) PDP government did in
Nigeria. And I took him for his word that he is not contesting in
2019,” Minister of Women Affairs Alhassan said.

Alhassan said in the interview she would resign if Buhari seeks
re-election and would support former vice president Atiku Abubakar
if he decides to run. Alhassan’s portfolio ranks relatively low
down in Nigeria’s cabinet.

Abubakar was vice president from 1999 to 2007 as part of the
People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He joined the All Progressives
Congress (APC), Buhari’s party, in 2014. She said Buhari made the
comments in 2015 to APC members but gave no further details.

The president’s two spokesmen declined to comment on the
minister’s remarks.

Buhari, 74, returned on Aug. 19 from three months of medical
leave in Britain for an unspecified ailment. It was his second
stint of sick leave this year following a break between January and
March.

Many people say they doubt whether Buhari is well enough to
serve another term in Nigeria, which is Africa’s most populous
country and has the continent’s biggest economy.

“If today Mr. President says he is running in 2019 I will go to
him respectfully and thank him for giving me an opportunity to
serve and then tell him that I have to resign because my political
father may be running,” said Alhassan. (REUTERS)

President Muhammadu Buhari told members of his party before he
was first elected that he would only seek one term, implying he did
not intend at that time to run in 2019, the minister of women’s
affairs told Reuters on Wednesday.

The comments by Aisha Alhassan could heighten uncertainty over
whether Buhari plans to contest the next election. Buhari took
power in 2015 but has been absent for much of this year due to
illness. He is yet to say if he will seek a second term.

“In 2014/2015 he said he was going to run for only one time to
clean up the mess that the (previous) PDP government did in
Nigeria. And I took him for his word that he is not contesting in
2019,” Minister of Women Affairs Alhassan said.

Alhassan said in the interview she would resign if Buhari seeks
re-election and would support former vice president Atiku Abubakar
if he decides to run. Alhassan’s portfolio ranks relatively low
down in Nigeria’s cabinet.

Abubakar was vice president from 1999 to 2007 as part of the
People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He joined the All Progressives
Congress (APC), Buhari’s party, in 2014. She said Buhari made the
comments in 2015 to APC members but gave no further details.

The president’s two spokesmen declined to comment on the
minister’s remarks.

Buhari, 74, returned on Aug. 19 from three months of medical
leave in Britain for an unspecified ailment. It was his second
stint of sick leave this year following a break between January and
March.

Many people say they doubt whether Buhari is well enough to
serve another term in Nigeria, which is Africa’s most populous
country and has the continent’s biggest economy.

“If today Mr. President says he is running in 2019 I will go to
him respectfully and thank him for giving me an opportunity to
serve and then tell him that I have to resign because my political
father may be running,” said Alhassan. (REUTERS)