Some politicians, including
‘ministers and governors’
under the banner, ‘Buharists’
are working behind the scene
to ensure that President
Muhammadu Buhari
recontests the presidency in
2019, Governor Nasir El-Rufai
of Kaduna State has
disclosed.
This is despite claims by
Nigeria’s minister for women
affairs, Aisha Alhassan, who
said that Mr. Buhari
promised to serve for just one
term during a political
meeting before the 2015
polls.
“In 2014/2015 he said he was
going to run for only one
term to clean up the mess
that the (previous) PDP
government did in Nigeria.
And I took him for his word
that he is not contesting in
2019,” she was quoted as
saying by Reuters.
The minister, popularly called
Mama Taraba, had also
during the week stirred the
hornets’ nest when she said
she would support the bid of
a former vice president,
Atiku Abubakar for the
presidency, in 2019 even if
Mr. Buhari decides to contest.
But on Friday, Mr. El-Rufai
while addressing journalists
at the State House after a
meeting with President
Buhari said efforts were on to
ensure Mr. Buhari’s re-
election in 2019 becomes a
reality.
He also said Mrs. Alhassan
had never been a supporter
of President Buhari.
“We have a group. We have
Buharists amongst governors,
ministers. Our group wants
to ensure that President
Buhari runs in 2019. Our
political ideology is to
support whatever President
Buhari wants to support. If
he chooses not to run, he will
tell us which direction to go.
“We are Buharists, we don’t
have any personal ambition,
we don’t have any personal
aspiration and we are
waiting for him to decide.
And we are making every
political effort and creating
every structure to achieve this”
When asked on his opinion on Mrs.
Alhassan’s controversial statements in
the media lately, the Kaduna Governor
said it was a known fact that Mrs.
Alhassan was never in support of a
Buhari presidency but that “she was
entitled to her own opinion.”
The governor said that despite the
minister’s support for Mr. Abubakar
during APC primaries in 2014, she was
nominated as a minister “because the
President felt she earned the
nomination, given the need to encourage
women in politics and her impressive –
though failed – run in the Taraba
governorship election.”
“Many in Buhari camp did not support it
(Alhassan’s nomination) but he (Buhari)
overruled everybody because that is how
he is. He tries to be inclusive, he
considers every Nigerian as his own son
or daughter and he nominated her to be
minister.
“Her comments are not surprising, she
has never been a supporter, she has
never believed in the Buhari ideology.
So, I am not surprised and as a Nigerian,
as an individual, she has every right to
express her views and support whoever
she wants.
“But what I am saying is that Nigerians
should not be surprised or shocked. This
has always been her position because
from time she has never supported
‘Buharism’ or what Buhari stands for.
Being part of Buhari government is a
different thing, because the government
sets policies and if you are a minister,
you execute the policies. You can execute
those policies while pursuing a different
brand of politics,” the governor said.
Mr. El-Rufai also denied having a
presidential ambition.
“What I want to say here very, very
clearly is that I have never been a
presidential aspirant. I have never even
been a gubernatorial aspirant. As far as
2019 is concerned, my position is that
the president is looking very well. He is
recuperating very fast. My hope and
prayer is that he will contest in 2019,”
he said.
The presidency is yet to make any
comment on the raging controversy.