By Williams Anuku,Abuja
Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Communications, on Wednesday, revealed that the re-election bid for President Muhammadu Buhari has begun in earnest.
He said though Buhari was yet to disclose his ambition to contest the 2019 presidential election, he(Buhari) will be persuaded to run for the number one seat.
Shittu gave the disclosure shortly after he had a closed door meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa,Abuja.
He said the Muhammadu Buhari/Osinbajo Dynamic Support Group has appointed him national chairman of the Board of Trustees of the organisation.
He told State House Correspondents that he accepted the offer because he was an ardent supporter of the President.
According to him, Buhari would be prevailed upon to enable him make up his mind so that Nigeria could continue to enjoy stability and progress.
The Minister, while fielding questions from reporters, said he seized the opportunity of the meeting to inform the President that he has been appointed a national chairman of the Board of Trustees of Muhammadu Buhari/Osinbajo Dynamic Support Group.
He said the South West Zonal Office of the Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Organisation would be inaugurated on January 20.
When asked if he was really confident that the President will yield to pressure to re-contest, Shittu said, “It goes without saying. I mean if you have a child who goes to primary school and he does well, he proceeds to secondary school and he does well, and you keep asking if he will be going to university. It goes with out saying.
“By the grace of God, we his (Buhari’s) ardent supporters who appreciate his worth on behalf of millions of Nigerians would urge him to re-contest.
“I know he has not made up his mind but I can say that some of us can assist him in making up his mind so that Nigeria can continue to enjoy stability and progress in our land.”
When asked if the development was an indication that campaign for 2019 has started, the minister responded, “Every day since he (Buhari) came into office, all his activities are geared towards letting Nigerians know that they have a saviour, a rescuer, somebody who is committed to providing relief for Nigerians in all respects.
“In the area of fighting corruption, insurgency whether in the North East or the Niger Delta; in the area of repairing the economy and providing jobs and providing social stability in the society.
“You will agree with me that today but for Buhari, Boko Haram would have invaded even Lagos.”