We Will Make Sure Buhari Recontest In 2019 – El-Rufai

The Kaduna state Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has affirmed that there are ongoing plans to ensure President Muhammadu Buhari recontest as President in the 2019 election.

After a meeting with Buhari at the State House, El-Rufai said this today on behalf of a group of supporters he called ‘Buharists’ among Nigerians governors and ministers who are persuading Buhari to rerun in 2019.

Contrary to the minister of women’s affairs and social development, Aisha Alhassan, who had vowed to support the bid of her ‘godfather’, Atiku Abubakar in the next generation and also noted that President Buhari had already told her that he will not run for a second term in office, El-Rufai noted that their missions as supporters of Buhari to back him up in his decision towards 2019.

“We have a group. We have Buharists amongst governors, ministers. Our group wants to ensure that President Buhari runs in 2019. Our political ideology is to support whatever President Buhari wants to support. If he chooses not to run, he will tell us which direction to go.

“We are Buharists, we don’t have any personal ambition, we don’t have any personal aspiration and we are waiting for him to decide. And we are making every political effort and creating every structure to achieve this”, he emphasized.

In reactions to the recent comments made by ‘Mama Taraba’ as Aisha Alhassan is fondly called, the Kaduna Governor stated that the minister had always had a divergent ideology from the President and he is not surprised that she vowed to support former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in 2019.

“Her comments are not surprising, she has never been a supporter, she has never believed in the Buhari ideology. So, I am not surprised and as a Nigerian, as an individual, she has every right to express her views and support whoever she wants.

“But what I am saying is that Nigerians should not be surprised or shocked. This has always been her position because from time she has never supported ‘Buharism’ or what Buhari stands for. Being part of Buhari government is a different thing, because the government sets policies and if you are a minister, you execute the policies. You can execute those policies while pursuing a different brand of politics,” he said.

Lastly, El-Rufai established that he is not ambitious about being President of Nigeria at any point.

Quoting him as said:

“What I want to say here very, very clearly is that I have never been a presidential aspirant. I have never even been a gubernatorial aspirant.

As far as 2019 is concerned, my position is that the president is looking very well. He is
recuperating very fast. My hope and prayer is that he will contest in 2019,” the governor ended