President Muhammadu Buhari has hinted that he might be seeking re-election in 2019.

This hint came in a statement in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire where he is attending the 5th European Union-African Union (EU-AU) Summit.

He was accompanied on the trip by the national leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu, and governors Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom and Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi, among others.

The president arrived late to an interactive session with the Nigerian community in Cote d’Ivoire Tuesday night and, said he had to wait for the two governors to accompany him to the meeting because of their electoral value.

“First I want to apologise for keeping you for too long sitting, this is because I insisted on the governors attending this meeting.

“This is why I came along with them so that when we are going to meet you when you are going to meet the rest of Nigerians if you tell them that their governors were in the company of the president, I think that will be another vote for me in the future. I’m very pleased that they were able to turn up,” Mr Buhari.

One more thing: He said he was instrumental in the emergence of Akinwumi Adesina as the President of African Development Bank (AfDB), despite serving as a minister in a PDP-led administration.

Buhari had shortly after assumption of office sent former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to lobby the support of the President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma for the candidature of Adesina, a move that was key in getting the former Minister of Agriculture the job.

“The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), who forgot to mention that he was serving in the PDP government as a minister but all the same I picked him and recommended him for AfDB.

“I think it emphasised what I said during my swearing in that I am for everybody and I am for nobody. As long as you are a Nigerian, be prepared to be on the receiving end from me,” the president said.

He also said, “I also thank our leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He has brought me a very beautiful piece of information, which I was not aware of it until I sat down and read it this evening (Tuesday night). Thank you very much for your hard work and I will discuss that paper with you.”

Omoleye Omoruyi

Omoleye Omoruyi… an apprentice web/game developer, novelist, sensitive to happenings in the world. Meet him @Lord_rickie on Twitter/Instagram