From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abidjan, Cote d’ Ivoire

Though one of the leaders of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, had declared recently that the party would follow the normal democratic process in choosing its flagbearer in the 2019 presidential election, President Muhammadu Buhari has hinted he might contest the 2019 elections.

Buhari gave the hint jokingly Tuesday at night while interacting with the Nigerian community in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

The president is in Abidjan, for the 5th European Union-African Union (EU-AU) Summit.

Some APC governors have also recently adopted Buhari as the sole candidate of the APC for the 2019 elections.

The president while apologizing for keeping those that came for the interactive session waiting, explained that he insisted on having governors Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom State and Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State being president, so that Nigerians in Côte d’Ivoire from the two states will be happy that he was accompanied by their governors and that might earn him votes in future.

“First I want to apologize for keeping you for too long seated, 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 accompany 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,” he said to which the hall erupted in laughter and clapping.

The President also said that his support for President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina, despite serving as minister in a PDP-led government was to further confirm his remarks at his inauguration on May 29, 2015, that he belongs to everybody and nobody in particular.

The president reacted to Adesina’s gratitude to his administration for supporting him to get the job to become the first Nigerian to head the continental bank since it was set up in 1964.

He said, “the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), who forgot to mention that he was serving in the PDP government as minister but all the same I picked him and recommended him for AfDB. I think it emphasized what I said during my swearing in that I’m for everybody, I’m for nobody. As long as you are a Nigerian be prepared to be a beneficiary of my government.”


President Buhari also thanked the national leader, of the APC Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for bringing him a beautiful piece of information which he was not aware of until now.

Buhari however did not disclose what piece of information it was but promised to discuss it in detail with Tinubu.

According to him, “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.”

Adesina in his remarks noted that the economy picked up soon after the president’s health got better, adding that “so it seems there is a correlation between the president’s health and the improved economy.“