President is not done with Nigeria - Orji Kalu

The former governor dismissed criticisms against the president's administration when he led members of the National Movement for the Re-election of President Buhari on a courtesy visit to the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, at his palace in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Tuesday, April 3, 2018.

While addressing the traditional ruler, Kalu said the president deserves to be reelected in 2019 because he is not done with the job he hopes implement to make the country better.

He also appeared to take shots at former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, who has publicly urged Nigerians to not reward Buhari's incompetence with a second term in 2019.

Kalu said leaders like Obasanjo were reckless with power and only think about themselves and not the rest of the country.

He said, "The greatest challenge of our country is leaders not obeying the law. When they are leaders, they don't want to obey the law; when they go out of leadership, they criticise everybody who wants to obey the law. This is the problem of the country.

"We have had leaders who disobeyed every law of the land. We've also had leaders who were reckless when they were leaders and when they go out, they call people all kinds of name. We have also seen leaders that have never seen anything good in other people's leadership, they only know about themselves.

"President Buhari has not finished the job he came to do. If God gives him good health and long life, he has not finished. He has to go for another four years to be able to finish.

"Despite people who are criticising and these people also took no criticism when they were in office. Despite people who are writing letters; these people we also wrote letters to them, they didn't reply to our own letters."

The Alake agreed with Kalu that President Buhari deserves a second term in office to enable him consolidate on the policies and programmes he has initiated to transform the country.

He remarked that the president has already charted a worthy path for the nation to transform it to an enviable height.

"I am part of the campaign team soliciting that Buhari should be given another chance to lead for another four years to complete the great work he has started," he said.

Buhari's reelection status

While the president has refused to officially declare his intention to seek reelection in 2019, he has flirted around the topic in recent months.

While meeting with the Nigerian community in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire in November 2017, the president explained that he was accompanied to the meeting by two state governors because it will "be another vote for me in the future."

Also, while speaking during a two-day visit to Kano State a week later, the president said he's confident of winning reelection particularly due to the crowd turnout.

"I am overwhelmed by the sea of people I see, and by what I see today, if elections are contested I will no doubt win it," he said.

Hours after media reports indicated that Amaechihad been reappointed as Buhari's national campaign coordinator on January 3, 2018, the Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, told journalists in the State House that the campaign for his reelection has officially taken off in the southwest region.

2019 presidential race

Motivational speaker and leadership coach, Fela Durotoye, became the second aspirant to officially declare his intention to contest for president after he joined the Alliance for a New Nigeria (ANN) on February 22, 2018. Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of online news platform, Sahara Reporters, declared his intention to run just days later on February 25.

Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose,remains the only other candidate to have officially declared his intention to contest after his announcement in September 2017.

Former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, belongs to a growing list of prominent Nigerians who have dropped hints that they may contest in the 2019 presidential elections.

Founder of the Latter Rain Assembly, PastorTunde Bakare revealed to his congregation on January 1, 2018, that God wants him to run for president despite his plan to quit politics for good.

Even though President Buhari has refused to officially declare his reelection bid, he is expected to face former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who is also in contention.