South-West leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have said President Muhammadu Buhari has not informed it that he would be seeking re-election in 2019.

Former acting Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande said this on Thursday at the meeting of the APC South-West stakeholders at the executive chamber of the Oyo State governor’s office in Ibadan.

Those present at the meeting:

Those at the meeting were Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi; his counterpart from Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu; Osun State Governor, Rafiu Aregbesola; and Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State.

Also in attendance were the Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun; a former Oyo State governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala; a former Osun State governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola; the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yussuff  Lasun; and the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu.

What he said:

• Buhari has not said he is contesting in 2019.
• The party will take a decision at the right time.
• Anybody in the party is free to become the President of  Nigeria.

He said, “He has not told us that he is contesting again. Anybody in our party is free to become the President of  Nigeria. As soon as they indicate interest, we will set a process through which a candidate is elected.

“If he (Buhari) is lucky to have the ticket, we will present him as our candidate.”

He said what the South-West leaders of the party were advocating was devolution of powers from the centre to the states and local governments.

Akande added, “The APC leaders from the South-West, together with our members in government at the state and the national levels, met to review what we decided at the last meeting in January 2017 and to see whether the efforts of our leaders in government have been fruitful.

“We are happy that we have had a happy meeting. Our governors and ministers are performing satisfactorily.”

Azeez