Buhari will win Kano, Sokoto, Bauchi even on a sick bed - Minister

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, says despite the defection of over fifty lawmakers at the National Assembly, President Muhammadu Buhari would get more votes than any other candidate vying for Nigeria’s number one position at the 2019 presidential election.

Addressing journalists during the inspection of the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri rail line on Friday, July 27, 2018, Amaechi said President Buhari would win states like Kano, Bauchi, and Sokoto "even if the President was on a sick bed".

Thirteen Senators and thirty-seven members of the House of Representatives had dumped from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday, July 24, 2018.

But, Amaechi noted that the defection of lawmaker would not affect President Buhari’s chances in the 2019.

The minister alleged that Governor Aminu Tambuwalof Sokoto state would dump the APC “because of his presidential ambition”.

“No matter what you do, the governor of Sokoto state (Tambuwal) will leave naturally; he has ambition to be president,” Amaechi announced.

He continued: “If you take a chicken to him, he will still go. The same with Kwara; these are people you expect that they will leave. They left with some members of house reps and senate, where did they come from? They are from areas the president is comfortable.

“Do you honestly believe that the president will lose election in Sokoto state? Well nobody is God, but those are his comfort zones.

“The next person that left is from Bauchi. If you bring president on a sick bed in Bauchi, he will win. He has never lost election in Bauchi. If you bring the President on a sick bed in Kano, he will win.

“Still, we cannot underestimate them (defectors) but during our time, we sold our candidate over a year before the election," he noted.

PDP not ready

The Minister threw a shade at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)saying the opposition had not picked its presidential candidate six months to the election.

“Six months to election, nothing. But one year to the 2015 election, it was clear who the APC presidential candidate would be.

“It is only God that can say if the APC would win or not. But, if you remove the God element, we are prepared to go because Nigerians will certainly reject a second looting,” he maintained.

Buhari’s campaign

The Minister who is the director general of Buhari’s reelection campaign hinted that the activities around the president’s second term bid would kick start in the coming weeks.

He, however, noted that the recent completion of projects by the Buhari administration has nothing to do with politics.