We will force President to run in 2019 - Orji Kalu
According to Kalu, other President before Buhari stood for re-election, adding that it is the President’s entitlement to run in 2019.
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![President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje. [Twitter/@AsiwajuTinubu]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'100'%20height%3D'100'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje. [Twitter/@AsiwajuTinubu]")
The former Governor said this while speaking on a Channels TV Program – Sunday Politics.
He said “President Buhari will run for re-election, not a must but he is going to run. He has to run (and if he says he is not running), we will force him to run.
“Whether he declares or not, it is immaterial. All I know is that APC will have a lot of candidates in 2019 and President Buhari will be running for re-election.
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“He has to run; he is the President of Nigeria and he is healthy, what will stop him not to run? He is a capable man, so he will be running with the other candidates who want to run in the APC.”
No automatic ticket for Buhari
Kalu also debunked reports that the APC is planning to impose the President on intending presidential aspirants.
The former Governor said “Even President Buhari himself will reject an automatic ticket, he’s a Democrat to the heart. He will like to see his popularity being tested.
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“He’s not afraid of any candidate coming to run, he is willing to challenge any candidate to challenge him in the primaries. I believe he is still the presidential candidate who has 10 million people behind him and he is not threatened.
“So if you conduct the election tomorrow, 10 million voters will follow him unasked for and he will make a good show in all parts of the South East.”
You will recall that the National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, had earlier said there will be no automatic ticket for President Muhammadu Buhari.
Tinubu said it in reaction to the Imo state Governor, Rochas Okorocha’s comment saying that Buhari is the only eligible presidential candidate in APC.
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![Polling clerks counted votes at a polling station after completing the voting process of the general election in Abuja, Nigeria, on February 25, 2023. [Getty Images]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'300'%20height%3D'172'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Polling clerks counted votes at a polling station after completing the voting process of the general election in Abuja, Nigeria, on February 25, 2023. [Getty Images]")