We’ll get Buhari to seek re-election in 2019 – Minister

The Minister of Communication, Barr. Adebayo Shittu, said on Wednesday that top supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari are trying to convince him to seek re-election in 2019.

Shittu stated this while featuring as a guest on the Breakfast Chat with South West Group of Online Publishers (SWEGOP) in Ibadan, Oyo State.


According to The Nation, the minister argued that Buhari has delivered on his campaign promise of tackling insurgency and other forms of criminal violence in the country, corruption and reviving the economy.

According to him, Buhari has recorded success in the three key areas, particularly with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo sustaining the legacies in his absence.

Shittu said there is no need for Buhari to stop the good work he is doing, stressing that a four-year tenure is not enough to completely overhaul the Nigerian system.

The minister said:
 “It is for the interest of Nigeria. We have had in this country series of administrations in the last 18 years. But what did we have to show for it? We know that Nigeria was brought to its knees by corruption. It is also because governance has not been focused on value added services. It has been an era of impunity. Impunity leads to disorderliness, lawlessness and cheating of the masses. But we have a President who committed himself to a three-point agenda of fighting corruption, insecurity and to repair the economy. “Everybody will agree that the fight against corruption has been sustained and the era of impunity has been banished under President Buhari. Again, he has succeeded in routing out of Nigeria the element of violence, not only in the North East where Boko Haram held sway but also in the Niger Delta where militants had been restive.
“On the economy, President Buhari has blocked all loopholes through the Treasury Single Account (TSA) where corruption and funds due to Nigeria were siphoned. He has also introduced so many economic measures to try to stabilize the local currency, encourage Foreign Direct Investment (FID) into the country and get the economy on its feet.”

When asked if the President’s ill-health makes the efforts reasonable, Shittu said anybody can fall sick at anytime.

He expressed the confidence that Buhari would return to the country to continue his work.