National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has launched vigorous campaign for right of first refusal for the incumbent president Muhammadu Buhari, insisting that he remains the presidential candidate to beat in 2019.
Downplaying the effects of President Buhari’s ill-health which many believed slowed down governance and affected the delivery of the party’s manifestoes and campaign promises, Odigie-Oyegun had equally dismissed the insinuations that such decision will have adverse effect on the APC’s bid to retain power in 2019.
“The thinking that ‘will he be President in 2019’ is really not doing any good. His need today is good health. When we get to 2019, it is for him to decide if he wants to run or if he doesn’t want to run and to consult the party on his decision,” Oyegun said, adding: “If he wants to run good and if he doesn’t want to run, the country isn’t bereft, the party isn’t bereft of capable hands,” he said.
Oyegun however, noted that the issue of the candidacy of the party in the 2019 presidential election ought not be a priority now but for God to fully restore Mr President to robust and good health.
In his words: “Why build bridges if there is no river to cross? Why don’t you wait until you come across a river, then you build a bridge. With all due respect, for what it stands for, what is critical today is for our good Lord to restore Mr President to robust, good health.
“I am sure that the prime thing he will be considering isn’t 2019, but to have his health fully restored and I am sure he will give anything just to have his health restored. Let’s terminate it at that point; when 2019 comes we will deal with the issues that arise,” he insisted.
