Gerard Izuora
Two political parties, Accord and the Peoples Democratic Party, in Oyo State have said they would make adequate preparations that will give them edge over the All Progressives Congress and President Muhammadu Buhari, following his declaration that he would run for a second term in 2019.
The secretaries of the two parties said Buhari’s announcement of his plan to seek re-election has brightened the chances of their parties.
Wasiu Emiola, the Secretary of PDP, said Buhari’s declaration has further made it easier for the PDP to defeat APC in the 2019 presidential election.
John Igbinsola, the state Secretary of Accord party, described Buhari as a joker.
Igbinsola claimed some cabals were pushing the President to re-contest because of their selfish interest.
He said: “President Buhari is acting the scripts of certain politicians that want to further enslave the masses through anti-people policies.
“But Accord party will present a credible presidential candidate that will wrest power from the APC government come 2019.”
Emiola of the PDP said the APC-led Federal Government had lost its credibility due to its “poor performance” in the last three years.
He alleged that APC government was characterised by nepotism, adding that the anti-corruption war of the Buhari administration was below the expectations of Nigerians.
“President Buhari’s re-election bid will not get the support of the masses as against what it was in 2015,” Emiola predicted
Meanwhile, Emmanuel Ajayi, an Ibadan-based lawyer, said it is the constitutional right of the President to re-contest for second term.
Ajayi said the people have the voting power to choose who governs them and tasked opposition parties to do their homework effectively in choosing personalities that would slug it out with the ruling party.
He described the declaration as the beauty of democracy, saying the development would enliven political ambience towards the 2019 general elections.
The lawyer cautioned politicians against inciting statements that could heat up the polity. He urged them to play politics in accordance with the rules.