Presidency says it's too early to speak about 2019 presidential election

The presidency has dismissed a report claiming President Muhammadu Buhari spoke about the 2019 presidential elections, saying that it is too early.

This dismissal is a reaction to a Reuters report that claimed the president granted a radio interview on Thursday where he remarked that he does not know if he will seek re-election in 2019.

In a reaction to the story, President Buhari's Personal Assistant on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, took to his official Twitter account on Thursday, January 18, 2018, to debunk the report.

He posted, "This report from Reuters is NOT true, President Muhammadu Buhari didn't grant any radio interview where he talked about 2019 election, for Mr. President, it's too early to start talking about next year elections when there are so many important and pressing issues on his desk."

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 Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi had been reappointed as Buhari's national campaign coordinator on Wednesday, January 3, 2018, the Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, told journalists in the State House that the campaign for Buhari's reelection has officially taken off in the southwest region.