Desmond Mgboh, Kano and Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said Buhari’s declaration was an internal affairs of APC.

The PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said until the president becomes the candidate of the APC, it will not spend “precious time on his mere show of interest.”

According to the opposition party, the declaration has placed President Buhari among the ranks of aspirants seeking to be the president of the Federal Republic, effective May 29, 2019.

However, elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai said Buhari should get prepared for a tough race, insisting that the mood of the ordinary Nigerians towards him has considerably changed from what it was in 2015.

“I am not a fortune-teller but I can tell you that the attitude of the ordinary Nigerian towards him has drastically changed,” the second republic presidential adviser, said 

He believed that the outcome of the 2019 polls would be determined by the extent  the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was prepared to conduct a free, fair and credible elections as well as by the quality of opponents that would be put forth by the opposition.

He observed that President Buhari’s declaration did not in anyway come as a surprise to himself or to many Nigerians, saying it was all evident in his body language.

He  noted that his ambition was boldly inscribed in his renewal of his romance with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu adding that his daring of the national leadership of his party was also indicative of the fact that he was clearing the way to declare and contest the presidency once again.

On the current efforts to come up with a fresh leadership for the party, Alhaji Yakasai held that  Buhari had made up his mind that things might not come as easy as he would want them to be under the leadership of Chief Odigie-Oyegun, adding that  that may have informed his decision to seek a fresh leadership that would easily do his bid in the build up to 2019.