Buhari Meets APC Governors, Seeks More Time to Decide on Re-election

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday night met with the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors in the Presidential Villa, Abuja and demanded more time to make up his mind on his next move.

In the meeting, the APC governors had attempted to persuade the president to throw his hat in the ring and run for a second term in office, but Buhari in his response, said he would address the nation and the party’s caucus on his decision soon.

Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Chairman of APC Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha said the meeting discussed various issues affecting the nation​,​ including the state of the APC and the president’s second term bid.

According to him, the entire APC governors want the president to run for a second term in office because in their own assessment, he has performed well and it will only be in the interest of Nigeria if he returns to power in 2019.

However, Okorocha said the president in his response to the governors’ demand, requested more time to make his decision known to the entire nation, expressing hope that such a decision would be in tandem with the governors’ wish.

He said: “We discussed so many issues that affect the nation, our party and Mr. President’s ambition to run for 2019 elections.

“It is the desire of the governors that Mr. President should run for this exalted office given his performance in the last two years. We believe that if he continues Nigeria will be better for it.

“Anyhow, Mr. President in his usual manner has requested that we give him time and that he will address the nation and the caucus of the party very soon. So, we should be full of expectations that Mr. President will make officially known to Nigerians his intentions but we hope that his response will be in line with what the governors are thinking.”

It was the second time the president would be meeting with the APC governors in the last one week.

He had first met with them in his Daura, country home last Friday. After the Daura meeting, Okorocha told journalists that they were only in Daura to commiserate with the president over the loss of his two relatives and not for any political reason.

The governors, who had attended the Council of State meeting in the villa earlier in the day, had opted to stay back to meet with the president.