The Presidency has finally made it clear that no one can stop President Muhammadu Buhari from re-contesting for second-term in office, in the 2019 elections.
“And it is also the right of the President (Buhari) to run or not to run. So, you don’t abridge the right of anybody under a democracy.”
The chief Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, who answered reporter’s question in an interview today, Sunday said: “I believe that if the president wants to run, he can run. I will support him. I will always support him any day.”
Femi Adesina said: “talking of his own personal ambition or lack of it, we have to wait until he blows the whistle. You can’t start a race until the whistle is blown.
“So, when he blows the whistle and say ‘yes, this is my ambition,’ then, the race start.
“So, for now, we just say that we keep waiting on him to tell us what direction to go.”
He debunked the rumour that the President has re-appointed Rotimi Amaechi as Director General of his campaign organisation, adding that the President will appoint a Director General for his campaign organisation only after he must have become the candidate of his party.
“Well, me I believe that things like DG will come when you have become a candidate. If the president steps into the fray now, he’s an aspirant just like any other aspirant. Having a DG comes when you become a candidate of the party.”
On Mandela option which some Nigerians have advocated, the special adviser on media and publicity to the President, said that in democracy, people are bound to have divergent views on any given issue.
“Of course, this is a democracy. People will always have a right to their opinions. You know one thing about democracy is that there is multiplicity of opinions. “So, those who believe in the Mandela option, it is their right.” He said that the pet project of the President is getting election into any office right.
“The president has always said; he said it publicly before but those of us who are his aides – when we talk – we reiterate it that if it is the only thing he does. He wants to give free and fair elections to the country: elections that are acceptable.”
Adesina argued that since Buhari’s government began, there have been elections in which his APC didn’t have to win.
He said that unlike in the past when a certain party was in power and insisted that they must win all the elections that held in states, the Anambra’s senatorial election that was held Just this weekend, was won by another party.
“Some months ago, in November, you saw the governorship election. If APC had wanted to overrun Anambra using federal might, it would do and it would win the election.
“Election had held in Bayelsa under this administration, APC didn’t do it. Ondo, APC won fair and square. Kogi, it won fair and square. Where APC wins, it wins. Where it loses, it loses. That’s the attitude of the president. Your party doesn’t have to win by hook or crook.
“So, he says if it is the last thing he does, he will leave free and fair elections for Nigeria. So, he will bequeath free and fair election to Nigeria and that is happening.”[myad]
