President’s 2019 re-election campaign kicks off in Southwest

Hours after a section of the press reported that transport minister, Rotimi Amaechi, has been named President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 national campaign coordinator, the president’s re-election campaign officially kicks off in the country’s Southwest region.

Adebayo Shittu who is the minister of communications, told State House correspondents after a meeting with the president at the villa, that the campaign for the president’s re-election has officially taken off in the Southwest region where the governing APC still retains a stronghold.

Shittu also announced that he has been appointed national chairman of the board of trustees of Muhammadu Buhari/Osinbajo Dynamic Support Group.

Make up his mind

TheCable quotes Shittu as saying that his group will “help Buhari make up his mind so that Nigeria can continue to enjoy stability and progress”.

Shittu also said even though Buhari hasn’t said anything concerning his re-election, it goes without saying that he should be supported for another term in office.

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“It goes without saying. I mean if you have a child who goes to primary school and he does well, he proceeds to secondary school and he does well, and you keep asking if he will be going to university. It goes without saying.

“By the grace of God, we his (Buhari’s) ardent supporters who appreciate his worth on behalf of millions of Nigerians would urge him to re-contest.

“I know he has not made up his mind but I can say that some of us can assist him in making up his mind so that Nigeria can continue to enjoy stability and progress in our land", Shittu said.

Saviour

Asked if the development was an indication that the presidential campaign for 2019 has commenced, the minister all but answered in the affirmative.

“Every day since he (Buhari) came into office, all his activities are geared towards letting Nigerians know that they have a saviour, a rescuer, somebody who is committed to providing relief for Nigerians in all respect", Shittu said.

“In the area of fighting corruption, insurgency whether in the north-east or the Niger Delta; in the area of repairing the economy and providing jobs and providing social stability in the society.

“You will agree with me that today, but for Buhari, Boko Haram would have invaded even Lagos.”

Buhari has left a couple of hintsto suggest he’s considering another term in office; with his first elapsing in the spring of 2019.

State Governors have also publicly thrown their weight behind the president's re-election bid.