Politics
Nigeria: Buhari to seek re-election in 2019
(Reuters) – Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari will seek another term in elections in February 2019, his office said on Monday, ending months of speculation about his plans after bouts of ill health.
The 75-year-old spent much of last year on leave being treated for an undisclosed ailment, triggering accusations by opposition groups and other critics that he was unfit for office and that his administration was beset by inertia.
Many Nigerians jokingly call him “Baba Go-Slow” – though his supporters have given him the credit for Nigeria’s exit from recession in the 2nd quarter of last year.
Buhari will seek his All Progressives Congress (APC) party’s presidential ticket to contest the 2019 elections, the presidency said on its Twitter account.
In 2015, Buhari defeated incumbent Goodluck Jonathan of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), riding a wave of popular resentment against widespread corruption.