President Muhammadu Buhari has formally declared his intention to seek re-election into office of the president.
He would therefore be contesting the presidential election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2019 election.
He made the declaration on Monday at the meeting of the National Executive Committee of the APC holding in Abuja.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai confirmed this in a tweet: “BREAKING NEWS: PMB has just announced to APC NEC his intention to run for a second term of office. Alhamdulillah. – Nasir El-Rufai.”
Although he had kept mute over his ambition for some time, there had been indications that he would re-contest.
It would be recalled that the president has been under intense pressure not to stay in office beyond 2019.
Prominent among his critics is former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
In an open statement, Obasanjo condemned him, saying that he had failed to live up to his billing.
According to him, having failed to reduce the level of poverty in the country and make life more meaningful for the people, he should quit at the end of his first tenure.
Obasanjo also declared that the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, were not fit to take the country to the Promised Land.
Former Military Head of State Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida also joined in the condemnation.
He also told the president to quit at the end of his tenure.
However, there had been pressure from APC governor, calling on the president to seek re-election.
